


Sticking Together

by Choorloo_707



Category: Dream SMP - Fandom
Genre: Angst, BadBoyHalo - Freeform, Clay - Freeform, Darryl - Freeform, Dream SMP War, Dream Smp, Fluff, Gen, George - Freeform, Jchlatt - Freeform, L’manberg, Manberg, Minecraft, Nihachu - Freeform, Phil - Freeform, Philzaminecraft - Freeform, Quackity - Freeform, TechnoBlade, Tommy - Freeform, TommyInnit - Freeform, Tubbo - Freeform, dream - Freeform, minecraft youtubers - Freeform, philza - Freeform, sapnap - Freeform, wilbursoot - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:54:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 58,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27524167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Choorloo_707/pseuds/Choorloo_707
Summary: This is only a fanfic that I have made that is about the Dream SMP but with a different story line. In this book, Tommy and Tubbo have planned to run away from L'manberg including Pogtopia to start a new world of their own without chaos and war.But with those two teenagers gone, what will happen to their friends once they found out they have went missing? Will their friends try searching for them? Or will they just forge their memories of them down the drain and forget them? What will happen to L'manberg and Pogtopia?There's only one way to find out.【This fanfic was inspired by a Dream SMP Animatic】
Comments: 5
Kudos: 82





	1. !Author’s Note!

Hello! Author san here, just wanted to clarify a few things before we start on this short little book, here we go!

• This book does not include ships, Tommy and Tubbo are minors and these moments in this book are highly platonic.

• I am writing this book right after Tommy uploaded the Twitch stream video "REVENGE. TONIGHT." So if any future plots and character changes happens after that Twitch stream video will not be included in here.

• This "AU" was inspired by a Youtube video animatic! It is this video below so go check it out before reading!

https://youtu.be/CVzXHpiQXVk

(It honestly almost made me tear up)

• I will also be following the story line that originally belonged to a person that has commented under the video!  
(It will have a few changes though)

Anyways, that is probably all I needed to mention, have fun reading!

.


	2. The Bench

The boy swung his sword against the air as a way of practicing his fighting skills while walking across the ravine that was now his home called 'Pogtopia'. It wasn't a very cozy place but it was all that he had after he lost L'manberg to the hands of a cold hearted goatman. The boy walked over the short steps towards a few chests that contains all his items and belongings, he opens the chest and started rummaging in it to find some spare armor, since he had lost his after dying from fighting some zombies outside.

The boy could only find a spare netherite helmet which is good enough, he cursed to himself that he has yet lost all his weapons and armor from dying, there was no way he could get them back since by now all the zombies have probably destroyed all of it with it's green hands and feet. The boy puts on the netherite helmet on his blond hair and tightened his grip on the diamond sword.

"Tommy? What are you doing?"

Hearing his named being called out, the boy jumped a bit and turned around to be face to face with his dear friend in a rugged black jacket and beanie.

"Oh Jesus, hey Wilbur. Don't scare me like that again" Tommy frowned while furrowing his eyebrows, Wilbur chuckled quietly with a small smile. He took a few steps closer to Tommy while also darting his eyes between Tommy's sword and netherite helmet, curiosity filling his mind.

"Sorry for that Tommy, but you didn't answer my question. What are you doing?" Wilbur asked again, while raising an eyebrow as he gets more curious. The boy, now introduced as 'Tommy' was a little hesitant to answer his dear friend despite all the chaotic things that have happened because of Wilbur. Most of his trust for him has simply faded away after Wilbur's sudden change of personality for the past few days.

"I'm just...erm, trying to find some spare armor and weapons since I lost all of mine while fighting mobs outside" Tommy muttered quietly but Wilbur still managed to hear, the blond boy felt a little hint of embarrassment after saying that sentence, since he sure is the type of person who didn't want to seem weak around others.

Wilbur widened his eyes and couldn't help but chuckle again, but more louder and clear for Tommy to hear.

"You died by mobs? I thought you're much more stronger than this Tommy, holy shit! Well anyways I don't think we have any more armor so you better keep that netherite helmet safe" Wilbur said between laughs and giggles as he patted the netherite helmet on Tommy's head, the blond boy rolled his eyes like he knows already and that he doesn't need anyone to remind him about something obvious.

Silence filled in the entire room while Wilbur was trying to think of something to say so he could strike up a conversation with his right hand man, Wilbur just knows that Tommy still holds a little grudge on him especially after what he had done earlier that day, when he was just about to press the button. But both males have worked things out right? They've both cracked up some jokes and laughs along with Quackity and just forget that anything ever happened, the button was destroyed by Wilbur's axe and that's that.

But no matter what, Wilbur still has this bad gut feeling inside him that Tommy is up to no good, it wasn't that Wilbur thinks Tommy is going to become a bad guy but it's just that something about Tommy makes Wilbur think he's going to do something risky and alarming. For God's sake the kid is 16 who knows what kind of mischief he'll do without anyone knowing and that's what Wilbur is scared about.

"Hey I'm just going to go outside and see if I still have a chance to get all my stuff back, if anyone needs me just tell them I'm out with the zombies" Tommy quickly informed to Wilbur before walking up the stairs to leave Pogtopia without even giving Wilbur a chance to say anything, Wilbur only nodded gently as he stares at Tommy's figure leaving the cave.

Tommy leaves the cave and out on the outside world, the sky is a beautiful shade of orange with purple gradient which indicates that night time is coming around the corner. Tommy had nothing but a helmet and a sword on him so he has to be careful around mobs, and he also has to be quick or else the moon would start to rise and the mobs would spawn more and more around the area, but oh no dear old Tommy wasn't planning on going to get his stuff back like how he told Wilbur. He could care less about the stuff he lost.

Tommy looked down on the big hole in front of the Pogtopia entrance where Technoblade's horse was calmly sleeping in, the blond boy jumped down into the hole and petted the horse's mane softly.

"Hey Big man, sorry to wake you but you need to get up" Tommy whispers to the horse, the horse's black sparkling eyes flutter open to meet his gaze with Tommy's. Tommy pulls out a saddle from his inventory and put it on the horse, along with some iron horse armor.

"Gotta keep you safe with this armor, I don't want you dying as well or else Techno would murder me" Tommy grinned at himself as he began to mount Techno's horse, hoping that Techno wouldn't mind him using his horse for the tenth time this week without his permission but pretty sure Techno wouldn't mind it, would he?

The horse then trotted away from the Pogtopia entrance and followed Tommy's orders according to the bridle attached around it's head. Instead of walking towards the direction of where Tommy's stuff were, they were heading towards the hill right behind L'manberg, the hill where the white house used to be placed on, now sadly no more. Tommy looks around the hill and checked the back of the hill where a certain room was located inside, he remembered Wilbur made a penis shaped stone statue as a sign to show where the entrance of the room is, til now Tommy still chuckles remembering the penis statue.

Once Tommy has found the familiar statue, he got off from the horse and tied the horse with a rope to a nearby fence post just so that he wouldn't wonder off anywhere and get lost. Tommy with his diamond pickaxe mined out the statue to open up the entrance of the button room, he gulps while doing so since he doesn't really have good feelings about this room at all, he remembers how nerve racking it was for him and Quackity to stop Wilbur from pressing the button, he was sure that Wilbur would press the button but by last minute Wilbur destroyed it with his axe which filled Tommy's whole body with relief.

Tommy walked inside it's cramped hallway towards the room, his feet nervously stepping on the yellow wool on the floor. Tommy didn't know what made him so anxious being in this room, since all his intentions was to check the room just once but the eerie silence on the hallway made his heart beat faster, Tommy didn't know what to expect in the button room but his instincts tells him that he just had to.

To Tommy's dismay, he enters the button room where there were TNTs everywhere, what made Tommy's heart drop was the button, that damn button, it's there, it's placed there, it's still there, he remembered vividly that Wilbur destroyed it with his axe so why was it still there?

"I fucking knew it, that bastard" Tommy gritted his teeth while gripping his knuckles, he glanced his pupils behind him just to make sure no one was following him. Tommy tried to take the button off the cobblestone wall but it was rather difficult with his trembling hands, but he managed to anyways without accidentally pressing it and completely blow up L'manberg.

Tommy put the button inside the pocket of his jeans and hurried walked out of the room before anyone sees him inside, but then Tommy got an idea that maybe he should just take all the TNT inside the room as well just for himself. He was still in mid shock that Wilbur would break faith with him like that, here he is thinking that his pal Wilbur would actually change his mind about the bomb thing but luckily Tommy's instincts was here to save the day, who knows what would happen if Tommy didn't come to check on the button room that time.

Tommy mounts on Techno's horse again but didn't move, he just sat there on the horse with gloomy eyes and negative thoughts in his mind. He pulled out the button from his pocket and examine every detail with it, and also softly rubbing it up and down with his thumb, just when Tommy started to gain back his trust and faith with Wilbur then this happens. With a deep breath, Tommy ordered the horse to move and trot away towards L'manberg. The blond boy hopes with his whole heart that his dearest friend, a former brown haired boy, was close by. Cause he really needed a small chat with him at this moment, he really needed to.

Tommy typed in private chat to his closest friend 'Tubbo, can we talk? Come to the bench'

He waits for a reply from his friend while carefully looking on his left and right, just being cautious so that there were no any L'manberg citizens seeing him out on the open and begin to attack him while he was in nothing but a helmet and with a simple horse. Thankfully no one was around, maybe they're all busy in their own homes since it is beginning to grow dark out, no one wants to be outside and be a mob's dinner.

Tommy then got a notification from private chat, it warmed his heart knowing he got a response from his friend.

'Sure, be there in a bit'

Tommy smiled but only for a brief second, him with the horse they trotted up to a familiar place where there was a bench placed on the edge of the hill, the blond boy remembers how he used to talk to his closest friend Tubbo on this bench, here is where they talk their feelings out or maybe just have a normal conversation, just those two, and the sky.

Tommy got off from the horse and plopped himself on the bench with a loud exhale, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in fatigue, he furrowed his eyebrows while a small headache was growing on his brain. He still had the button kept inside his other palm that was starting to grow sweaty, Tommy suddenly hears rustling sounds from behind him which startled the poor boy.

Tommy quickly got up and pulled out his sword to defend himself from one of Schlatt's minions.

"Who's there?!" Tommy yells out, but his face then drops when he saw his friend Tubbo there behind the bench with his hands up and his eyes widening.

"Woah woah! It's only me, Tommy. Calm down it's me!" Tubbo quickly blabbered out as sweat beads fall down his forehead, the blond boy by the bench sighed in relief before dropping his sword onto the grass, this is the second time he's been spooked by his friends and he was not happy with how much of a scaredy-cat he is being.

"Oh my god, Tubbo I...y'know what nevermind. Just come sit here beside me, I need to talk to you" Tommy gestured his hand for his closest friend to come over, Tubbo walked towards the bench and sat beside Tommy while his eyes still fixed on him, wondering what Tommy wanted to talk about.

"Y'know Tommy maybe here isn't the best place for us to sit, since we're in the middle of L'manberg and everyone could probably see us here, maybe even Schlatt" Tubbo explained, raising his eyebrow a bit but Tommy just ignored his words with a shrug, if anyone sees him or Tubbo then Tommy will make sure that both him and his closest friend will be safe.

"Don't worry Tubbo, if anyone sees us and tries attacking us I'll kill them before they lay a finger" Tommy folded his arms together, while glancing his eyes on Techno's horse just to make sure the horse is still nearby and didn't trot away by themselves.

"You sure? We don't even have full armor on" Tubbo chuckled awkwardly, Tommy glared at his friend with squinted eyes.

"Well why didn't _you_ wear any armor then? Fucking hell Tubbo" Tommy said with a bitter look, his friend only laughed at his forgetfulness. He knows Tommy is only joking around which is why Tubbo doesn't really take it to heart, he knows how much Tommy cares for him even if it doesn't seem like it.

"Anyways, what did you wanna talk about?" Tubbo asked as he reminded Tommy of why he actually called Tubbo over to the bench, the topic made Tommy's salty feeling disappear instantly and replaced with sorrow. Tommy opens up his palm where the button was in and showed it to Tubbo who was confused.

"Remember when I told you about the whole thing with Wilbur and Quackity? And the TNT room with the button to blow up L'manberg with??" Tommy questioned while shifting his whole body towards his green shirted friend, still holding out his palm with the button on it.

"Yeah? It was a crazy story I gotta tell ya, what about it?" Tubbo tilted his head to the side, Tommy took a deep breath and placed the button on Tubbo's lap.

"Well I checked the button room again and turns out Wilbur placed the button back on the wall, behind me and Quackity's back. I thought that I can finally trust him again, I guess not anymore" Tommy looked away from Tubbo's direction with a sad frown, he can just hear Tubbo's small and doleful 'Oh' from beside him.

"Maybe he didn't do it on purpose?"

"There's no way it wasn't on purpose, Tubbo. I really do can't trust anyone around me, except for you" Tommy said before turning his gaze back to Tubbo, his downcast eyes met Tubbo's full spirited ones, and with that one look Tubbo immediately felt bad for Tommy. He knew that his blond tempered friend wanted everything to be back to normal just as much as Tubbo does, which is why Tubbo felt bad for him always feeling betrayed.

"First was Eret who left us, then Fundy left, and then Techno killed you, now Wilbur, who next? Techno's fucking horse?" Tommy gestured his hand towards the horse who was eating the grass behind the bench, Tubbo placed a palm on Tommy's shoulder and rubbed it gently while also trying to think of something to say that would comfort the blond boy.

"I think Wilbur is right" Tommy then said, Tubbo raised his eyebrows and looked up at him.

"What is?" He asked, not taking his palm off of Tommy's tensed shoulder.

"I'm never going to be president, besides I'm just a teenager I don't think I'll be fit to be president anyways. Me and Wilbur have already tried to take back L'manberg but no matter what we do Schlatt and his colony always defeated us, and besides Schlatt has many people defending him compared to us" Tommy sat up from the bench and started to look over at the view of his country, well it used to be his, all that Tommy sees is a L'manberg that was once a happy source for him, everytime he sees L'manberg it would always plaster a smile on his face. And now, it plasters nothing but dread.

"Wilbur's mind now has just completely did a 180, I don't know what the fuck happened to him and now he has the audacity to think he's blowing this beautiful place up to bits" Tommy turns his head towards Tubbo, looking at him dead in the eyes and then at his lap where the button was placed on. Tommy took the button from his friend's lap and walked towards the edge of the hill, clutching harder onto the button before lifting up his arm to the sky and threw the button far far away across L'manberg with his whole momentum. Tommy sees the button fall in onto a river in the distance and soon became too small to be able to see.

"And then....Techno killed you, I still haven't forgiven him at all for doing that. Don't get me started on Eret and Fundy, they don't matter to me anymore" Tommy said bitterly, still feeling a pain in his chest whenever he's reminded about those two men who used to be standing by his side.

"I don't want to lose you too, Tubbo. I'm not ready for a day where one of us betrays the other" Tommy looks down at the grass while fiddling with the hem of his red and white shirt, Tubbo quietly stood up and walked to Tommy's side, looking at the blond boy's face with his worried eyes.

"Tommy, no matter what happens I'll always be standing on your side, if I ever betray you then I'll give my full consent for you to murder me" Tubbo said proudly, that last part of the sentence made Tommy smile while struggling to hold in a laugh. But back to what Tubbo said, he really did mean it, even if Tommy somehow makes Tubbo really angry or sad or emotional, Tubbo like the loyal boy he is, he'll never leave Tommy whatsoever.

"If all this war and fighting and betrayal thing really bugs you so much, then why don't we find a place where none of that happens? Maybe a place where we are at peace?" Tubbo suggested, he was a little hesitant to tell Tommy about this worried that he wouldn't like that idea. Tommy's ears perked up and he quickly looks back at Tubbo with a puzzled look.

"What do you mean?"

"I was wondering if maybe we can just leave this place? Since we can't trust most of the people here, why don't we run away with our stuff and start a new L'manberg?"

Tommy was shocked at what Tubbo had said, but it wasn't that he disagreed with the idea. He just never had that thought of leaving this place and giving up, Tommy wasn't a person who easily gives up, but at this point he thinks it's already too late for him to keep trying. Maybe he should just give up L'manberg to Schlatt and start fresh? Make a new L'manberg where no one fights and no more betrayals and no more wars. Tommy stood silent so he could be deep in his thoughts, while Tubbo started to become anxious.

"If you don't like the idea that's alright, I was just considering it but—"

"No Tubbo, I like the idea. I think we should run away, far far away"

Now it was Tubbo's turn to be shocked, his eyes widened once those words left Tommy's mouth, he didn't actually think that his friend would agree with him on such a bizzare idea. At first Tubbo was only half joking with the whole 'Running away' thing, but now hearing Tommy agree with it made his heart drop in surprise. He didn't think that Tommy would actually give up on L'manberg, he thought that Tommy would be more loyal to getting his country back at least for a few more weeks but this sure was a shock.

"Wait really? You're going to leave this place to Schlatt for good?" Tubbo questioned, not sure whether or not his friend was only telling a joke or if he's being serious. But by the looks of Tommy's dejected expression, it doesn't look like he was kidding. The blond boy takes a brief moment to look at his friend's stunned face before taking off his netherite helmet.

"Yes, Tubbo. As much as I hate to say it, I give up, I want to build a new country without a trace of Schlatt. And you, my friend, you're coming with me" Tommy gently puts the netherite helmet on top of Tubbo's head before his hands traced down onto both of Tubbo's shoulders and held onto them with a firm grip so that he'll make him look deep into his eyes.

"We're leaving at midnight where everyone is asleep so they wouldn't see us, meanwhile just pack up everything that's important. We'll meet up again at the entrance of Pogtopia" Tommy instructed, his voice now more stern and serious than a few minutes ago where it was quiet and deep. Tubbo was still trying to function what is going on since it seems like everything is happening so fast. Before Tubbo could say anything, Tommy already ran pass him and climbed on top of Techno's horse.

"Wait, Tommy-!" Tubbo called out but it was too late, the blond boy and his horse was already far away for them to hear Tubbo's yelling. Meanwhile the brown haired boy was still a little hesitant with this idea, but he had already promised himself to always stick by Tommy's side no matter what, so that is exactly what he's going to do. Tubbo takes off Tommy's netherite helmet and gazed at it for a while and noticing the small details, a little of Tommy's blond locks were left on the helmet, Tubbo sighed thinking how much of an insane kid Tommy is but to be fair Tubbo is just as insane. The brown haired boy got a hold of his senses and remembered he was very visible to the people in L'manberg, he quickly ran off before anyone sees him.

.


	3. This is Farewell

Tubbo tried to think of what items could be useful and most important for him to carry in his small inventory, he wasn't able to bring much stuff, the things he brought with him are mostly blocks, weapons, food, and ores. He could only carry so much with him and his inventory was quite small so he had to be picky with the things he's going to bring with him. He also didn't want to seem too suspicious around the people in Pogtopia, so that they wouldn't start questioning him and began feeling suspicious, little did those people know that tonight would probably be the last night they'll ever spend with Tommy and Tubbo.

Tubbo didn't want Wilbur or Niki or Quackity to ask him why he's carrying so much stuff on him, Tubbo didn't want to have to say goodbye to them for good, and Tubbo didn't want to leave them all behind. But he also didn't want to leave Tommy on his own, he didn't want to say goodbye to Tommy, he didn't want to be the only one who knows this was the last time he'll be seeing Tommy's face. And besides Tubbo would probably be nothing without Tommy, if Tommy leaves him here then Tubbo would feel nothing but empty and lonely for sure, Pogtopia would be different without Tommy there. Tubbo also doesn't want to feel the same betrayals that Tommy feels if he stays here, he knows very well how hurt Tommy will be if he stays longer here, both emotionally and physically. If it's not Tubbo who's going to be there for Tommy then who will?

While Tubbo was picking up some food from a chest, he hears faint footstep noises coming from behind him. Immediately Tubbo panicked and turned around while hiding the food behind his back, turns out he sees Niki walking by. Tubbo was just relieved that it wasn't Wilbur or Techno or he would've already been caught red handed.

"Hey Niki" Tubbo greeted, Niki turns her head towards Tubbo and gave him a polite smile as a way of greeting him back while she walks over towards the furnaces. Tubbo noticed that Niki has some raw pork chops in her hands which made the brown haired boy curious.

"What are you doing with those pork chops?" Tubbo questioned the girl, taking a few steps closer to her to see what Niki's going to do with them.

"Oh I'm just going to cook these in the furnace, do you want any Tubbo? I'm giving them out to Wilbur, Techno, Quackity and Tommy too just incase they're hungry and that they haven't had any dinner yet" Niki said before crouching down and putting the pork chops inside the furnace. Tubbo nodded in agreement, he just realized now how hungry he is and that all the food he's carrying behind him is still pretty raw and uncooked, maybe he should carry a furnace with him as well for the journey?

"Actually, my stomach has been rumbling for the past few hour so some pork chop sounds good. Speaking of pork chops, did you know that piglets can learn their names at just three weeks old? I couldn't even do that!" Tubbo exclaimed while placing down all the food back in his chest, Niki who was facing her back towards Tubbo had her eyes widened, she was quite impressed with that random fact but also pretty confused why Tubbo would just say that out of nowhere, but she won't question it.

"Oh really? I never knew that, do you think we should get a piglet later in the future then? As a pet maybe" Niki suggested with a shrug although she probably shouldn't have said that, it made the brown haired boy behind her lit up with excitement as Niki hears a small and happy gasp.

"Oh we definitely should! I think it's a good idea, the piglet can get along with my pet bees. Okay well I don't have pet bees... can we get pet bees too?" Tubbo jumped up and down slightly, getting all hyped up for his future pet colony, he's like a little toddler begging for his mom to get him pets and toys.

"Of course we can get pet bees, only if Wilbur and the others allow it though, but I do" Niki turned around with a chuckle as she folded her arms together while leaning her back against the furnace, waiting for the pork chop to be cooked. Tubbo quietly cheers to himself, getting excited for getting pets, he started thinking of what names he's going to give to his pet pig and bees.

"Should I name the pig...uhh, piggie?" Tubbo asked while looking up at the ceiling, Niki snorts at the very overused name but she wouldn't judge since this is Tubbo, Tubbo is unique and no one can tell him what to do.

"Sure, it's a cute and common name. How about the bees?" Niki raised an eyebrow with a grin on her face, Tubbo hums while he thinks for a name, what kind of name fits for a bee? Tubbo caresses his chin.

"Beeie."

Tubbo and Niki stood quiet for a few seconds before bursting into a fit of laughter that echoes around the walls of Pogtopia, they just couldn't help themselves at how weird sounding that name is but it sure is a unique name.

"What sort of name is that? 'Beeie'?" Niki repeated in between her high pitched chuckles, just by Niki saying that it made Tubbo laugh harder and grabbing his stomach.

"Hey! it's a nice name! I'm naming all of my bees 'Beeie' whether people like it or not. Pretty sure Tommy is going to give me his signature judging bitch face when I tell him about it though" Tubbo said while already imagining Tommy's weirded out look in his mind. Niki knows exactly what face Tubbo was talking about and it made her laugh again while covering her mouth with her palm.

"Hold on a second, isn't Techno a pig? Wouldn't it be offensive to him that we're keeping his kind as a pet?" Niki questioned the brown haired boy, his eyes widened like he had just went through a big realization. He wouldn't think that Techno would be offended by that, would he? Honestly, probably yes.

"But aren't you the one offering him pork chops?" Tubbo pointed out but couldn't help but let out a laugh at the end ofthe sentence, Niki's face suddenly drops and turns purple while she mutters a quiet 'Oh no' under her breath. Tubbo started laughing harder while leaning himself against the stone wall, while the girl in front of him decided maybe it's best to not offer Techno some pork chops tonight, maybe some steak would do for now.

Niki ducks her head down to check if the pork chops are done and judging by the amazing smell coming out of the furnaceit seems like they are, Tubbo hurriedly walked over beside Niki to go help her take out the pork chops, completely forgetting to pack up his things for his escape with Tommy. But hey, helping women with their cooking is pogger than anything.

Meanwhile on the surface right outside of Pogtopia, there sat a blond boy sitting beside a tree cleaning his diamond sword with a napkin. He was watching carefully for Wilbur and also being anxious on where he could be, he just hoped that Wilbur didn't come back into the button room and realize the button was gone, pretty sure Wilbur will know instantly who had destroyed it if he sees. Tommy wanted to check on the button room again because who knows if Wilbur is over there with his finger just inches away from the button he recreated. After awhile Tommy has had ran out of patience and sat up from the grass, he grips onto his diamond sword and started running quickly towards L'manberg.

Tommy knew there were tons of mobs outside which is why he had to be careful since he wasn't wearing any armor since he gave Tubbo the only armor he had left. Thankfully Tommy was able to dodge most of the mobs from hitting him, although he did take a few fall damage trying to do parkour on the trees, and also he got shot by a few skeletons but his health bar is still pretty high. Tommy struggled to swim across a lake to get to L'manberg while he was fighting and cursing at some spiders that were chasing after him, thankfully the blond boy managed to get to the other side of the lake and quickly ran towards the hill, his legs stumbling here and there while he ran.

But suddenly Tommy felt someone aggressively grabbing his upper arm from behind and pulled him into their embrace, it made the boy yelp a little but when he turns his head he sees Quackity holding him with a worried expression.

"Quackity what the hell are you doing here?!" Tommy yelled to him, both males grabbing eachothers arm.

"Why are you asking me?! I'm the one who should ask you that! The fuck are you doing in L'manberg out in the open, are you trying to get Schlatt to kill you?!" Without another word, Quackity dragged Tommy with him and ran quietly towards a big tree and his behind it while huffing, both out of breath.

"Big Q I need to go to the button room I have to check if Wilbur is— He's going to blow up—"

"Woah woah Tommy calm down, Wilbur destroyed the button remember? Wilbur is at Pogtopia eating pork chop with Tubbo and Niki. We were waiting for you so I came looking for ya" Quackity said calmly, since he noticed how tensed Tommy looked and how worried he is. He can just see it in his eyes he was panicking about something, but after Quackity told Tommy Wilbur was in Pogtopia, Tommy slumped his shoulders while sighing in relief, he looked just as relief as when he and Quackity managed to get Wilbur to destroy the button earlier that day.

"Wilbur is in Pogtopia, right? Okay, okay" Tommy placed his palm on his sweaty forehead before leaning his head against Quackity's chest as Quackity rubbed Tommy's blond hair up and down to calm him down, Quackity wasn't really the type of guy who was a professional with calming people down so he just hoped that head patting is enough.

"Let's head to Pogtopia, and while we're walking you can maybe tell me why you're running around a death trap like a madman?" Quackity suggested while trying to look at Tommy's face against his chest, the younger boy finally let's go from gripping so tightly onto Quackity's suit. He looks up at Quackity's face with a more calmer but exhausted expression.

"Right, yeah uh, sure Big Q" Tommy cleared his throat while Quackity was still rubbing his upper arm, the two males walked cautiously back to the safety zone outside of Pogtopia so that they wouldn't be seen by Schlatt or any citizens. It was an awkward silence while they were walking, well it wasn't that much awkward but it was more gloomy? Quackity kept glancing at Tommy from time to time since he really is confused why Tommy needed to go to the button room so badly.

"Sooo, gonna start speaking up or?" Quackity started, looking at the grass while he and Tommy slowly made their way towards the secret Pogtopia entrance. Tommy struggled to come up with words since he doesn't really know what to tell Quackity, should he tell him about Wilbur placing back the button? Should he tell him that he and Tubbo are planning to run away? Quackity has been through a whole ton today and Tommy didn't feel like making him more stressed out than he already is.

"I just wanted to make sure that Wilbur, y'know, didn't make another button and press it behind our backs" Tommy muttered out, by the corner of his eyes he sees Quackity nodding his head gently.

"He wouldn't Tommy, the three of us already made a plan earlier where I confront Schlatt. Blowing up L'manberg would be plan C" Quackity reminded with a proud smile, unfortunate for him he doesn't know what's coming ahead of him. Tommy could just feel the guilt crawling up his shoulders, he didn't want to leave Quackity, especially not after just recruiting him into Pogtopia and gaining his trust. Leaving Pogtopia right after Quackity joins in would be a bit of a dick move.

Tommy and Quackity entered inside the entrance of Pogtopia and walked down the long staircase, the two can just faintly hear laughs coming from downstairs and some good smelling pork chops. Tommy and Quackity are already licking their lips at the image of the delicious food, they made their way downstairs and see Tubbo, Niki and Wilbur together just eating and joking around. The atmosphere looked happy which Tommy was very thankful of.

"Hey guys! I finally got Big T here with me" Quackity called out, everyone took their attention to Tommy as they all smiled happily at his arrival. Tubbo wrapped his arm around Tommy's shoulder while giving him a piece of pork chop.

"Here, Tommy! Have some pork chop, they're really good and they're made by Niki" Tubbo pointed towards Niki who chuckled before taking another bite of her cooked pork chop, Tommy smiled and took the pork chop from Tubbo, the pork chop was a little hot for Tommy's hand but he was still able to hold it. Tommy didn't seem to pay attention towards the jokes and the laughs the group was making, all the loud sound seems like a blur to him, like he was going deaf. Tommy looms up from the pork chop and onto Wilbur who looked as though nothing has happened, he looks like the same crazy guy he is, Tommy wonders if Wilbur found out that Tommy destroyed the button.

"Me and Niki are planning to get a pet pig and bees, what do you guys think?" Tubbo asked the three men, Quackity seemed like he was pretty cool with it considering his answer was only a shrug and a smile, Tubbo looks over at Wilbur but his big smile faltered slightly as he remembers what Tommy has said to him a few hours ago.

"I don't mind it if you get a pet pig or pet bees, why'd you have to ask us anyways? You're like an actual child, Tubbo" Wilbur snickered before grabbing a glass of water and drinking it, Tubbo only chuckled nervously but he did just realize his weird childish behavior is showing, but I mean he's Tubbo. Tubbo then looks over at his closest friend who he had wrapped his arm around in, waiting for an answer from him. But once Tubbo saw Tommy's quiet demeanor he knew that something wasn't right.

"Tommy? How about you?" Tubbo asked his friend with a smile, even though he knew that Tommy doesn't feel okay he just had to cover him up from the others and pretend that he was. Tommy jerked his head and looked up at Tubbo, finally realizing the situation he was currently in, Tommy didn't even remember what question his friend had asked him which was very unfortunate.

"Uh sorry um, Tubbo have you gotten ready yet? Y'know with the stuff?" Tommy questioned while his entire gloomy side completely changed, Tubbo stuttered out for a bit but can only nod his head.

"Oh yeah I'm done with the stuff" Tubbo said awkwardly, the three other people in front of them all raised their eyebrow while starting to question what made the two teenagers act so weirdly out of nowhere.

"What stuff?" Wilbur squinted his eyes while starting to feel a little suspicion of the two boys, he took a few steps closer towards them and instantly both Tommy and Tubbo's heart starts beating ten times faster out of their chests, the two still poorly struggling to make up an excuse to hide their secret.

"Um, drugs, yeah we're uh exchanging drugs. It's a teenager thing you won't get it" Tubbo said which made Tommy chuckle, he would probably laugh harder if he wasn't in a nerve racking situation like this, the two boys had nothing else to do but to slowly take a few steps back from the three people with nervous smiles.

"Hey uh me and Tubbo need to talk about something, y'know like what Tubbo said, drugs, we need to do drugs real quick so we'll be right back" Tommy excused himself along with Tubbo while they both had awkward smiles on their lips, the three other people gave them questionable looks that really expresses their confusion of the boys, Quackity muttered out a long and unsure 'Okay'. And with that, the two boys walked up the stairs and onto a different room of Pogtopia, a little platform place just near the spiraling stone staircase that is quite far away from where Wilbur, Niki and Quackity were at so they couldn't hear them. The two boys looked around just to make sure that no one would he able to hear them talk to eachother.

"Are you done packing up, Tubbo?" Tommy asked with his voice slightly above a whisper while looking at Tubbo's pockets on his suit with the green tie, Tommy absolutely hated that suit since it always reminded him of Tubbo being on Schlatt's side.

"Yeah, yeah I think I have everything I need. But Tommy are you sure you want to leave this place? We have Niki and Quackity they seem like really nice people that care for us a lot" Tubbo said with a frown, he waited for a response from his friend in front of him. And to be honest, Tommy doesn't know what to do anymore, he wanted to leave L'manberg and forget it ever existed for good but he also didn't want to leave the people he trusted behind.

Quackity? He seems nice enough and trustworthy, but Tommy still doesn't know if Quackity just so happens to be a spy from Schlatt, and since it's been awhile since the both of them had talked and actually worked together it still felt a little weird around Quality. As for Niki, Tommy thinks that maybe Niki can be working together with Wilbur with the bombs, but Tommy did notice how heartbroken and damaged Niki looked when Tommy told her about how Wilbur has changed from the past week. All Tommy ever wanted was peace and no more trust issues and betrayals, the only person that Tommy trust with his whole heart and soul is Tubbo. He is his number one priority and if anything happens to Tubbo it happens to Tommy as well, as cheesy as it sounds.

"I don't fucking know anymore Tubbo. Fine, I'll admit all these things I've been feeling lately for the past months okay? Truth is I'm tired, and I'm stressed out with all these wars and fights and losing friends, seeing you getting murdered in public by Schlatt was terrifying to me, I don't want to have to witness something like that again" Tommy rubs both of his tired eyes as he started getting another headache, Tubbo caresses Tommy's upper arm up and down while he whispers quiet 'Okay, okay's to him. It was here where Tubbo found out that Tommy must have developed trust issues with people around him, and that Tubbo was the only one that Tommy truly did believe in.

This was a much different side that Tubbo has ever seen Tommy in, for once the blond British boy showed his friend what he's been going through, who knows how long Tommy has had all these feelings bottled up for.

"I know it's not very manly of me to 'Show my emotions' and shit like that, stuff like this really isn't my style" Tommy shrugged, already beginning to feel awkward after just blabbering out his emotions to his closest friend, but deep inside that awkward feeling was a little bit of comfort ness.

"Aw don't worry man, I'm glad you told me about this or I wouldn't have known. After this we can get our horse and gallop out of here, should we?" Tubbo patted his shoulder while warmly smiling at the blond boy in front of him, Tommy wouldn't want to admit it for the world but after second of venting to Tubbo it was honestly the greatest feeling he's ever felt in a long time, maybe it wasn't so bad afterall. But he's still Tommy, he'll act as manly as possible no matter how many times people will remind him he's a child.

It was already very quiet around the entire world, the only sounds you can hear are the crickets and the sounds of hungry mobs outside. Tommy sneaked up the stairs of Pogtopia with all the important items he needed in his inventory, he had to make extra sure that no one was around so he wouldn't get caught, he's even prepared an excuse to when he does get caught. Tommy has already looked around Pogtopia to make sure everyone was asleep, he heard Quackity loudly snoring from the other end of the hall which made Tommy not have to check on him since the answer is already obvious, Tommy checked Niki and she was calmly sleeping on her bed, then Tommy checked Wilbur which he had prayed to the lord and Dresus that Wilbur is asleep, and fortunately he was! Wilbur slept against a chest with his beanie over his eyes.

Tommy didn't know where Technoblade was though, he doesn't sleep in Pogtopia, in fact nobody knows where he sleeps, he'll just disappear at night and then come back in the morning which is pretty accurate for a guy like him, Techno didn't even join in to eat pork chop earlier. But Tommy brushed it off and figured there was no way Techno would find out, Tommy then went into private chat and texted Tubbo hoping that he didn't accidentally fell asleep.

'Im near the horse, come here quick'

Tommy then woke up Techno's horse again and decided to feed him some hay just before the journey so that they don't get tired halfway. As Tommy pets the horse's mane he started thinking again about Niki and Quackity, since those two seem to be the people that Tommy trusts the most after Tubbo. Tommy couldn't just leave them here to fight on their own, but then again they are older than him and probably more stronger so they wouldn't have a problem if Tommy left, right?

But still, Tommy felt a little bit guilty just leaving them here randomly without a proper goodbye, so the blond boy decided to do the manliest and poggiest thing he could ever do before he leaves. He rips out a blank piece of paper from a book in his inventory and some coal, Tommy began writing on the paper using the coal as best as he can, the handwriting looks a little messy but it's the best he could do since he doesn't have a pencil or pen.

_Dear Everyone,_

_Once you wake up in the morning you might be wondering where me and Tubbo went, we sadly realize that we have surrendered on trying to take L'manberg back, we apologize greatly for this unexpected news and we understand if you aren't happy with us, but we plan on building a new L'manberg somewhere thousands of blocks away from here, if we're lucky maybe we can come back and get you. In the meantime, stay strong Big Man, Tubbo and I care for you all, stay safe._

_From Your Obedient Servant,_

_T. Innit_

"Are you ready to go?" Tubbo's voice was heard behind Tommy, the blond boy turns around and sighs before looking back at the letter he wrote, he crouched down inside the hole of where Techno's horse was and placed the letter there right on the dirt, hopefully the letter wouldn't fly away or the coal wouldn't be brushed off from the paper.

"What's that?" Tubbo asks when he had just noticed the letter being placed down, Tommy stood up from crouching with one last look at the letter before he turns his head to Techno's horse and climbs up to sit on the saddle.

"A farewell letter," Tommy paused as he controls the horse to climb up the hole, he can hear Tubbo muttering a sad 'Oh' as he looks down at the letter as well with mournful eyes. Tubbo also wanted to say goodbye to everyone by giving them a warm hug or at least talk to them face to face just one last time but by now it's probably too late for that.

"Anyway, come on we need to hit the road" Tommy informed before reaching out his arm out towards Tubbo, the brown haired boy grabbed onto the blond boy's hand and climbed up the horse and sat behind him. Tommy and Tubbo took one last look at the entrance of Pogtopia knowing that their friends were softly sleeping down there without a clue of what's going on, and also a look at L'manburg. It wasn't even L'manburg anymore, who knows what it is now. Then the young fellows looked at one another with piercing eyes as a way of asking 'Are you ready?' To each other. Tubbo was the first to nod his head at Tommy, and with that Tommy got a hold of the bridle and controlled the horse.

The horse then slowly galloped away from the secret Pogtopia entrance and deeper into the woods and the thick trees, while also carrying two lonely children on it's back.


	4. Keep Me Company

The man walked over towards the empty and wide area that has nothing but grass all over it, while also kicking the little pebbles off the hill of the area with the sharp edge of his black shoes. He really shouldn't be awake so late at night knowing there are monsters that spawn everywhere during in dark places, but since he was sure that his country was fully lit up with torches and glow stone, he had nothing to be afraid of, he always makes the best decisions for his country afterall.

He then realizes that L'manberg was still full of Festival stands and decorations that are still scattered all over, since the Festival is already over he needs to clean the whole place up by tomorrow which made the man groan. At first he wanted to call Ponk and Fundy and a few other people to clean up the Festival but they were already asleep in their own houses, this Festival wasn't even worth it anyways since it just ended up as a big disaster in the end.

"Now what do we do for our new White House?" The man says to himself while scratching his beard and looking around to maybe find some references for his new White House, since the old one was very displeasing and too ugly for him, so he had no choice but to destroy all of it, along with destroying his friendship with his now ex Vice President.

"Fucking christ, I need a new Vice President this instant. But I still have no idea who would be a good fit for that, maybe Fundy? Naah, he's an absolute prick at times. Ponk? Nope, he has a weird name I don't trust anyone with weird names" The President continues to talk like there was another person there having a conversation with him, The President doesn't seem like he cares about sleep at all since he doesn't look tired. He barely gets any mostly because he's busy plotting his next events and ideas for his L'manberg. He'd try and make L'manberg a huge and powerful place rather than helping his citizens, not even a little bit. While the President looks around his beautiful L'manberg country, he has spotted something unusual at the very distance, somewhere near a forest outside of L'manberg.

"What the fuck is that?" He squinted his eyes as he steps closer and closer to see what it could be while also watching his steps so he doesn't fall off the hill. To his surprise he sees a silhouette of someone or something that was casted by the light of the moon behind them.

"Who the fuck is that over there? What are they doing?" The President, Schlatt, whispers to himself. His eyes widened when he sees that the silhouette was apparently moving, or should I say galloping.

"A horse? Someone riding a horse? Is that two people?" Schlatt was beyond baffled, he started to wonder if this was maybe one of those Pogtopians or whatever they are called. But it looks like the horse silhouette was running away from L'manberg rather than towards it. Schlatt didn't seem to care at all about who they might be or what they might be doing, as long as they don't go anywhere near L'manberg then they're safe.

"Huh, that's odd" Schlatt muttered under his breath, barely as loud as a whisper. He witnesses the silhouette slowly growing smaller and smaller in the distance along with the faint sounds of clacking hoofs, and then soon completely disappear, leaving his entire sight. Schlatt rested his hands behind his back and turns himself away from the view of the moon light before walking off from the hill like nothing ever happened, wasn't like it was important anyways.

"Do you think Techno would be mad we stole his horse?" Tubbo asked to his friend in front of him, and also tilting his head to the side to see his face clearer. Tommy only hums as he thinks for an answer while he swung his diamond sword around to cut through the vines that are blocking his view, his other hand grabbing the bridle of the horse.

"You see, Tubbo. Techno would probably be sad about it for a few minutes and then completely move on and easily get another horse, surely he wouldn't be mad at us. Getting a horse isn't that hard" Tommy shrugs before putting his sword away into his inventory while Tubbo still has his crossbow out just incase any mobs are coming to ambush them.

"You say getting a horse isn't that hard so why did we steal someone else's?" Tubbo gave an unamused look at Tommy that just radiates his disappointment to him, which the younger boy only chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head while also refusing to look at his close friend in the eyes.

"It's midnight alright? I'm too bummed out to go find a horse somewhere here, Techno would probably have all the energy tomorrow to find a new one"

Tubbo rolled his eyes at his friend but tried to hide his smile afterwards since he knows very well that he would've done the exact same, Tubbo continues his focus on his crossbow and looking around the forest biome to look out for any zombies or skeletons. The boys have a plan where whenever they come across mobs Tommy would be the one in control of the horse and running away while Tubbo is the one trying to kill the mobs with his crossbow, again these boys are armorless so they have to be very careful.

"Okay well, since this horse is ours now. Can we name it?" Tubbo suggested, trying his hardest not to let out his excitement to name a horse. But Tommy already knows how happy Tubbo gets when it comes to animals, so Tommy had nothing else to do but to oblige.

"Yeah sure, I guess we can name it. What do you want it to be, Tubbo?" Tommy sighs miserably as he slumps his shoulders, just wanting to get this whole naming thing over with since he doesn't really care what the horse would be called.

"How about Hor—"

"We're not naming this thing 'Horsie' Tubbo"

"I didn't even finish my sentence" Tubbo frowned and lowered his crossbow, even if what Tommy said might've been true he was still surprised how he could guess it so quickly.

"But I know very well you were about to say the name Horsie, and like I said a few seconds ago, we're not naming it that" Tommy ordered while looking behind his back at his close friend Tubbo, his friend only pouted and looked away from him while also thinking of a new name that might satisfy Tommy.

"This is our new pog horse, this is a very brave and tough horse alright Tubbo? This horse should have a manly and tough name like Lafayette or Alexander or Aaron Burr or—" As Tommy then started splurging out names of men from the 1700s out of his mouth, Tubbo was already distracted and didn't listen to a word Tommy is saying, but then a thought came to his mind that made the brown haired boy's half opened eyes widen.

"What if this horse is a girl? We never checked it's gender" Tubbo pointed out while still tilting his head to the side to see Tommy's face, but now the blond boy sitting at front has went silent as his mind started thinking of something weird like any normal teenager would. Tommy couldn't help but let out a snorted chuckle due to this messed up part of his organs called a brain.

"Do you uh, do you want to check it, Tubbo?" Tommy breathed out a quiet laugh while covering his mouth with his palm, it didn't take Tubbo a second to understand what Tommy was trying to imply which cause him to laugh out loud and hanging his head upwards towards the night sky. Tubbo's loud chuckles ring around the dark and silent forest biome making it less scary as it is.

"No way! No way am I going to check it, you go do it yourself" Tubbo glared at his friend, but a playful kind of glare with a cheeky smile stuck on his lips.

"Oh fuck no! I don't want to have this night as the night where I check a horse's crotch just to find the perfect name for it" Tommy said in between giggles as he tries to maintain himself from falling off the horse and scrape his knee, but he couldn't seem to take off the image of a horse's genitals off of his mind that is supposed to be the source of his laughter, and also Tubbo.

"Then it's settled, we're naming it Horsie. It's perfect cause it's a unisex name" Tubbo declared as he felt very proud that they both have come to the conclusion that the horse would be named, Tubbo has his hands on his hips with a pleased face.

"No no no we're not naming it Horsie! Horsie is a shitty ass name for a horse"

"Oh so you want to check it's crotch Tommy? Huh? Huhh?"

"No no no no noAHAHAHA! I don't!" Tommy and Tubbo then started a loud gamesomely argument about naming the horse, Tommy just wanted to give it a cool name without having to check a horse's private area while Tubbo only wanted the name 'Horsie' since apparently according to him it's cute and it's an easy name to remember. It soon got to the point where both of them started yelling over eachother's sentences until no one even knows what they're saying anymore, the poor horse they were riding on had absolutely no clue how the two boys were talking about it's genitals.

Whilst the boys were screaming at the top of their lungs to one another, a certain quiet sound was heard somewhere around them that made the blond one's face drop and stopped on his words mid sentence.

"Wait Tubbo, shh shh" Tommy puts his index finger to his lips whole cautiously looking all over his surroundings, it was really dark outside so Tommy could barely see anything and he didn't have the time to light up a torch.

"What is it, Tommy?" Tubbo's voice quickly morphed to a more soft and quiet tone once Tommy has shushed him, he waited for an answer from Tommy but he didn't reply back since he was too focused on looking around the forest while trying his best to look in the dark.

"Tubbo, craft torches" Tommy instructed in which Tubbo obeyed with a nod and quickly grabbed some sticks and coal to make a torch, he gave the torch to Tommy as he starts moving the torch around him to see better.

"I heard a creeper hiss somewhere near, I think we drew attention some mobs so pull out your crossbow" Tommy said quietly as he stopped the horse from walking, Tubbo nodded and lifted up his crossbow and aimed it at nothing but plain black darkness and tall forest trees. Tubbo hears some rustling leaves and his head immediatly jerked towards the direction which is to his left, he got his enchanted crossbow out and was ready to take aim at any moving thing he sees.

But as Tubbo was looking deep and focusing into the dark, an arrow suddenly came out with full speed towards him, thankfully Tubbo had a quick move and barely missed the arrow by a few inches beside his cheek. Once Tommy saw that arrow almost hitting his friend, he quickly held tight onto the bridle and instructed the horse to gallop as fast as they can through the forest, Tommy was holding out his torch so that he can steer the horse without hitting any tree logs and Tubbo was shooting his arrows behind him hoping he would hit what is expected to be skeletons.

As Tubbo shooted his few arrows into the dark he hears bones hitting eachother and some heavy things falling onto the ground, he gave himself a proud smile and turned back towards his front to check if Tommy is able to handle steering the horse with full speed while he can barely see anything from four feet ahead of him.

"You want me to hold the torch for you? Or should I make another one?" Tubbo yelled out to Tommy as he tried to keep his balance on the horse since he nearly fell of when he was shooting with his crossbow earlier. Tubbo didn't want to end up laying in the ground to be eaten by zombies and pummeled by arrows of skeletons and make Tommy worry for him.

"No it's alright. I promise I won't hit anything, Tubbo just hold on tight cause me and Horsie here is going to go as fast as we can" One of Tommy's hand grabbed onto Tubbo's and held it near Tommy's waist, Tubbo then got the idea and wrapped his two arms tightly around Tommy's waist and burried his face into Tommy's shoulder as he prayed that the mobs wouldn't get them since they're armorless and only had a few weapons that will break sooner or later.

Arrows were flying right pass the two boys from every direction as most of them barely hit the boys with it's very sharp end, Tommy with a torch in his hand could see a few skeletons in front of him walking towards them with their bow and arrows prepared to be shotted at the boys. Tommy panicked and suddenly make a sharp change of direction with the horse, he can feel Tubbo's hands gripping harder on Tommy's stomach which made the blond boy feel more pitiful.

Tommy then managed to get out of the forest biome after a while and exposed onto the moon light, he stumbles upon a place outside of the forest where there are way less trees and more grass and land. The full moon floating above makes the surrounding outside of the forest less dark and scary and now more brighter with all the stars stuck onto the dark ocean sky like shiny diamonds, it's twinkles shining against Tommy's pupils to make it sparkle. Tommy sees a lonely hill that seems climbable even with a horse, the blond boy sighs in relief and started calming down his horse from running so fast, now only calmly trotting on the dirt towards the hill.

Tubbo loosens his grip onto Tommy's waist and finally looked his head up from Tommy's shoulder. This was just now he took in the beautiful scenery, it felt like it was only a few minutes ago where he saw nothing but tall trees and darkness ambushing him. The two boys had their heads looking all over the sky just to admire the stars and moon, fortunately there were no mobs around but now only a few sheep and pigs just casually by themselves eating the grass.

"Wow, this looks delightful" Tubbo commented while his lips that used to he pressed shut against eachother now made a calm smile within just seconds.

"Yeah...it sure is, Tubbo" Tommy nodded his head slowly with his eyes fixed on the full moon, on the very corner of his eye sight he sees Tubbo's signature smile back on his face again and immediately Tommy smiled with him. All he wanted was for Tubbo safe and happy with him, since Tommy knows how sad Tubbo must feel leaving all his close friends behind at Pogtopia just to accompany Tommy out in the wilderness.

"We'll go up that hill and sleep over there for a while alright? We're just going to take a quick rest and we'll continue adventuring again" Tommy pointed his index finger up to the tip of the hill, Tubbo behind him gave Tommy a thumbs up with a short nod. The horse then started trotting a little quicker towards the hill and then climbed up it the best they could, some of their hoofs slipped on a few rocks here and there while trying to climb up but thankfully the horse was able to get on the flat surface right at the top.

"Good Horsie" Tommy patted the horse's side, full of proud. Tubbo tilted his head again but his face has turned into a smug looking expression with that grin of his. Tommy didn't ignore Tubbo's weird look and turned his head to him with a cocked eyebrow.

"What?"

"You're calling our horse 'Horsie' before I did, I didn't expect you to get used to it so quickly" Tubbo said before chuckling halfway into his sentence, his friend however only rolled his eyes and looked away from Tubbo in an embarrassed manner.

"Yeah well, I can't just call the horse 'Techno's horse' alright Tubbo? I had to think of something to call it and I didn't have time so I just called it Horsie but this will only happen once okay? Then we can actually decide on a cooler unisex name" Tommy then spat out more and more excuses to cover his reason since he didn't want to admit that he actually liked the name, he also folded his arms together with a small pout while refusing to look at Tubbo afraid that he still has that annoying smug face. Tubbo only shrugged with a smile as he doesn't believe a single thing his friend says, both boys got off from the horse and placed down their beds on the hill. Tommy pulled out a diamond pickaxe and went over to Tubbo.

"Hey, I'll go mine some iron so we can actually have armor. Do you still have my netherite helmet?" Tommy asked his friend with his hand on his shoulder, Tubbo just remembered it it was in his inventory somewhere, he rummaged through his inventory and pulled out the helmet.

"Here, do you wanna wear it while mining?" Tubbo offered Tommy his only piece of armor back but instead of Tommy taking it he just pushed Tubbo's hand back towards him.

"No, you need it more than me. I'm pretty sure I can defend myself without armor, you stay here and make cook some food alright? You can go mining with the horse too if you want" Tommy reassured while giving Tubbo's shoulder one last pat before he took off with full bravery like he doesn't care if there could be fifty zombies around him while he wears nothing but his red and white shirt and pants.

Once Tommy had completely left the hill, Tubbo began placing down a few furnaces and started to cook some food. He notices that below the hill there were some sheep and pigs just walking around, they all looked really happy to be there while playing and rolling around in the grass being free spirited, if only it were the same for the two teenage boys to be free and happy, sure they are free now but what's missing is the happy part, looks like they're still holding this grieving feeling of running away. But Tubbo with a blanket of sin and guilt wrapped around his body, he hesitantly pulled out his crossbow and walked down the hill towards the animals, and fired his aim one by one.

Tubbo didn't kill all of the animals though, only a few of them maybe three or four since he felt too bad. He grabbed the raw meats and head back up the hill as he just now realized that the horse hasn't been tied up to a fence and the horse could fall down the hill any minute which made the green shirted boy panic, but thankfully once he got back up the hill the horse was still there standing, right beside Tubbo's bed.

"Oh thank god you didn't fall off, I don't have a lead with me so uhh...just lay down and eat the grass pal" Tubbo petted the horse's mane while also taking off the sadle from it's back as he pushes the horse's body downwards so it will lay on the ground. Tubbo took a brief look all around the hill to maybe have an idea where Tommy headed to mine. Tubbo can see a few caves next to the hill from his point of view but he didn't know which one his friend was inside in, he assumed it's probably the closest one that's just a few blocks away.

Tommy on the other hand was already digging deep into the cave, he already mined out some coal and iron which he used to make himself an iron chest plate. As Tommy mined a stairway down through the stone, he started wondering if running away was the right choice, not only for him but for Tubbo as well. He started doubting that Tubbo wanted to go with him in the first place, what if Tubbo is unhappy with him? What if Tubbo secretly didn't like going on this journey and run away with Tommy. All these negative assumptions just keep flooding in Tommy's mind like overflowing water, surely Tubbo wants to be with Tommy right? Is Tommy really a person that's worth more than a few people?

The poor blond boy's full energy on swinging his pickaxe slowly decreased while he huffs, he had stopped mining completely since all he could think about was the situation he has brought his friend into. He really did just force his choices onto Tubbo without asking him first on what he thinks, then again Tubbo was the one giving Tommy the idea of leaving but he was only saying that as a simple joke. Tommy jerked his head as he realizes he's getting distracted and continued on mining as he hoped to find diamond soon enough, for now he leaves those thoughts alone to think about them in another day.

This cave turned out to be a bummer, there was no diamonds in there except for a few coals and iron which Tommy was mildly disappointed about, he cursed at the cave as if it were another entity before he leaves with furrowed eyebrows and a big frown. Tommy looks back at the hill and check to see if Tubbo and Horsie was there and sure enough they were, Tommy couldn't really see well from way down on the ground but he could just see a little bit of Tubbo's brown locks popping out and moving around, it made the blond question to himself 'What on earth could he be doing?' As if he would know the answer.

Tommy shrugged and thought that maybe he should head back to the hill for the night since it was already very late, he was getting pretty tired as well so he hoped that Tubbo made him some midnight food before he goes to bed, but before that he also plans on talking to Tubbo for a little while about something that's been on Tommy's mind earlier. Tommy could only hope that conversation would go well.

Tommy calmly walks up the hill with his diamond sword in his hand and a diamond pickaxe on the other, as he made his way up the hill he hears Tubbo's faint voice talking to himself which made the blond question about his friend even more and now beginning to wonder how both of them are so close in the first place despite how opposite they are.

"Tubbo, what are you doing?" Tommy asked as he steps closer towards his friend as he notices that Horsie is sitting inside a small three blocks tall building beside Tommy and Tubbo's beds. Tubbo whipped his head around to look at Tommy because of his sudden arrival.

"Oh I destroyed some trees over there and made some wooden planks, I didn't know what to do with them so I made a little house for Horsie" Tubbo said casually while he parkours around the crafting table to the furnaces and to his bed, Tommy paused for a moment to give his friend a confused look before he slumls his shoulders with a defeated sigh.

"Horsie doesn't need a— Okay fine you can do whatever you want Tubbo, have you made food yet? I'm starving" Tommy quickly hides his playful bitterness with the other feeling he has that is taking over his entire stomach, his hunger. Tubbo nodded and pulled out the cooked steaks out of the furnace and gave it to Tommy, the blond boy bits into it without hesitation due to his usual midnight hunger. Tommy then walked over towards the edge if the hill and sat down on the green and healthy grass. His hand gently pressed down to the plant and feel it's soil, with another bite of the steak Tommy looks up to the dark blue sky and admired the full moon that glows more beautiful than the sun.

"Tubbo come here for a second, I need to talk to you about something" Tommy called out to his dear friend without taking his eyes off of the moon, his mouth was still full of chewed up steak. Tubbo walked over towards Tommy and sat beside him while hugging his knees together.

"Yeah, what's up man?" Tubbo asked him, he knows that whatever questions Tommy will say would probably be something important and be those deep meaningful ones since the silent but alluring atmosphere really fits with it.

"Be honest with me Big T, do you actually want to run away with me or are you unhappy but still do this for me out of pity?" Tommy's voice became more quiet and less bold than it was a few moments ago, the tone in his voice was weighted with his sudden shame he didn't know he had in him, his voice was rather similar to when it was the first time he talked to Tubbo about his emotions hours ago. Tubbo already knew what his answer would be but he was hesitant to say words out of his mouth afraid he'll accidentally say something stupid and have Tommy get the wrong idea.

"Tommy I have had thoughts of running away for a while, but it was always just my fantasy y'know? I never actually thought I'd get a chance to and here I am with my closest friend by my side" Tubbo then smiled sweetly at Tommy hoping that Tommy will return the gesture but he didn't seem to move a muscle. The blond boy kept looking at the moon with sleepy half lidded eyes as he still has his half eaten steak in his hand. Since Tommy wasn't really saying anything to Tubbo's words, Tubbotook it as a hint that Tommy was expecting more from him which Tubbo with no doubt decided to continue.

"And— and I know that leaving our friends is sad and all that, but hey you wrote them a goodbye letter and that's something, I'm still in the process if moving on. But I'll have to admit I'd rather choose to have you as the only friend I'll ever have instead of having a hundred of them" Tubbo turns his haze away from Tommy and join in on him admiring the natural satellite shining thats emitting light down on both of the young boys.

"Really? You sure think that? Come on don't just say that to be cheesy and shit" Tommy gave an awkward chuckle at the end of his sentence, he turns his head slightly towards Tubbo but his eyes are still glued to the glimmer sky.

"I'm positive! If you ran away tonight without me knowing until I find a piece of paper the next day that turns out to be your farewell letter, you best bet I'll come looking for you" Tubbo said with a pout, while his face quickly morphed to a look of discomfort as he thinks of what would happen if Tommy ran away without him. Tubbo would probably have his heart dropped and anxious thoughts would run circles around his head as he worries if his friend is safe or not.

"I best bet that's what the others will do tomorrow too" Tommy made clear of, he takes one last bite of his steak before laying his back on the grass with his head resting on both of his palms, he folds his knees together while taking a big deep breath.

"Do you want them to find us?" Tubbo asked before he looked over at Tommy's laid down body on the wet grass. Tommy's face grew sour within seconds.

"Oh fuck no, I don't want to see their faces again. Not because I hate them, they're amazing people don't get me wrong, I just don't want to be reminded of wars and betrayals by looking at people who I used to be surrounded by when bad things were happening" Tommy explained while he closes his eyes as a way of relaxing on the grass. Tubbo tilted his head while glancing his ocean blue pupils around his gaze as he was a little confused on what Tommy said.

"What about me? Shouldn't you feel that same way when you look at me?"

Tommy couldn't help but smile which then lead to him to let loose a booming laughter that was loud enough to create an echo around the plains biome and even drew in the farm animal's attention that were standing afar.

"Oh Tubbo, whenever I'm with you we always had laughs and joke around half the time. You were never someone that ever had a grudge with me like Quackity or Wilbur, you were never someone that betrayed me like Eret or Fundy, and you always made me laugh with ways I didn't know it would make me laugh. If anything whenever I see your stupid face it always reminds me of our joyous times since we never had fights or anything even close to it" Tommy explained as he gestured his hand up and down with a sheepish smile, Tubbo felt pretty nice inside to hear those kinds of words coming out of someone's mouth especially someone like Tommy. He was proud of himself a little, he felt proud that he was able to make someone think like that of him, he really did manage to make someone think that Tubbo is their source of happiness.

"Thanks for that, Big T. I really appreciate it" Tubbo smiled again as he looks at Tommy's clear blue eyes that shows the reflection of the moon above.

"No problem, Big T. You deserve it anyway" Tommy sat up from the dirt to wrap his arm around Tubbo's shoulder and rub his arm as they take one last look at the moon who stood the same as it was an hour ago. If the two boys couldn't get tired and can stare at the moon forever they surely would, maybe later they'll even try to find shooting stars or try to name some stars after their own. But some nights don't last very long, sooner or later they'd have to face the blinding sun and the fluffy clouds that shapes out all sorts of things if your imagination is big enough.

"Tommy, before we head to bed let me show you what I brought with me" Tubbo stood up and brushed the little dirt crumbs off the back of his suit and went through his inventory, Tommy raised an eyebrow while looking at Tubbo without saying a word but just curious on what his friend wanted to show him.

Tubbo pulled out a jukebox out of his inventory and placed it down beside Tommy, the blond boy widened his eyes since he didn't expect Tubbo to bring a hecking jukebox. But it wasn't only a jukebox Tubbo carried with him, he also pulled out a disc.

"Is that one of my discs?" Tommy questioned as he pointed his index finger at the disc in Tubbo's hand, Tubbo shakes his head before answering.

"Nope, it's just another copy. God knows where our real discs are now, but hey let's just have a little bit of fun with some music shall we?" Tubbo chuckles with a grin before he excitedly puts the disc inside the jukebox, Tommy knew that no matter what he'll do or say wouldn't stop Tubbo from playing music in the jukebox so he had no other choice but to follow along.

"What disc is it anyways? Is it Cat?" Tommy asked his friend who was leaning on the jukebox but he didn't seem to reply at all, he didn't even take his eyes off of the jukebox to look at Tommy.

As the music started playing and slowly getting louder and louder, Tubbo's blue eyes began to lit up just like his face. He then sat beside Tommy on the grass again and gave the blond boy a wink, by now Tommy is long gone in the confused realm but once the first few notes of the song started Tommy instantly recognized what the song is about, Tommy face palmed with a weak smile at Tubbo's weird actions but it wasn't like he was complaining.

"I heard there was a special place," Tubbo began singing with his beautiful fantastic voice, well no it wasn't beautiful nor was it fantastic since Tubbo didn't even try to make his singing voice sound good but let's just say Tubbo could sing so good it was like the opera.

"Where men could go and emancipate" Tommy joined in, he also didn't even try a little bit to make his singing voice sound good, both Tommy and Tubbo suck at singing but they didn't really care since singing without trying is the fun part of it all.

"The brutality and tyranny of their rulers," Both Tommy and Tubbo sang at the same time as they start to make weird hand gestures as they sing, like they were the main stars of a theater.

"Well this place is real you needn't fret!" Tubbo sang.

"With Tommy and Tubbo they sing this duet" Tommy sang while wrapping his arm around Tubbo for the second time, they both laugh slightly as they wave their bodies left and right to the beat and waving their arms up, like they were singing to the moon.

"It's a very big and a very fucked up L'manberg!" The two of them sang but with much more enthusiasm in their voices, the sudden energy to sing their heart out came out of nowhere while they gave the entire world their biggest toothy smiles.

"Our L'manberg, Our L'manberg!"

"Our L'manberg, Our L'manberg!"

.


	5. Missing Children

The eerie anonymous sounds echoes all over the walls of Pogtopia, some are sounds of running water and some are sounds of silence that never were there in a long time which made the whole cave of Pogtopia feel different in some way, it was oddly quiet, way too quiet. That should've been the first bad sign the Pogtopian people should pay attention to the minute they wake up in the orange morning. Niki shifted around her bed due to the hot weather, since they don't have air conditioners in here it was always either very cold or very hot at times, no in between.

Niki groaned before wiping her tired eyes to see her vision more clearer, once she has fluttered her eyelids open she sat up from her bed and carefully stroke the red blanket. She takes a deep breath while she remembers the horrid situation she was in here in Pogtopia, the only thing that Niki ever wanted and wished for was for everyone to hold peace with eachother again like they used to a few months ago. Everything had completely changed ever since the war and it feels like just knowing you're fully safe is a difficult task to do.

But alas, Niki still wouldn't give up to have at least a little bit of peace. As long as she has Tommy, Tubbo, Wilbur, Techno and Quackity by her side she has nothing to be worried of. But her gut instincts were still very deep in anxiety, who knows if something terrible happens to Pogtopia or to any of the men here. This is the only place and home they have and if Schlatt finds out about this place then God give them tranquility.

Niki started making some food in the furnace and grabbed some armor and weapons in a nearby chest next to her bed. She can only see the newcomer of Pogtopia, Quackity, sleeping soundly on as he lays on his stomach on one of the stone shaped mattress.

"Quackity, wake up. It's morning already" Niki softly patted Quackity's shoulder, he only managed to mumbled out something inaudible against his arm that he's been drooling on the past night. Niki then grabbed onto his shoulder and shake it slightly while giving Quackity another morning call.

"Quackity come on, it's late. If you wake up now I'll give you steak that I'm cooking" Niki said with a grin while raising her eyebrow since she knows how much Quackity loves food just as much as he loves his arse.

And with that Quackity's ears perked up at the trigger word that seems to caught his attention . He immediately looked up at Niki with dark circles beneath his eyes.

"Did you say, steak?" He asked innocently with a goofy smile, his accent turned slightly Spanish all of the sudden. Niki chuckles and nodded her head, she helped Quackity by pulling his arm until he fully sat up on the stone. Niki then pointed towards the furnace with the lit fire inside it which lead to Quackity jogging towards the furnace with beaming eyes while he licks his lips. Niki headed off to check the other boys and try to see if they had woken up or if they're still asleep, if they are still asleep then Niki would wake them up like the motherly figure she is. She looked over to see Wilbur's bed which was empty but Wilbur was nowhere to be seen in Pogtopia.

After checking on Wilbur, Niki checked on Tommy and it appears that he is not in his bed too. Niki didn't see Tommy nor Wilbur walking around in Pogtopia so perhaps they're outside. Niki then went to Tubbo's bed place as she got ready to yell out his name and surprise him with food in the morning but to her surprise Tubbo wasn't there either. Usually Tubbo wakes up pretty late just like Quackity, and now seeing that he's not in his bed and presumably awake sort of made Niki confused but she shrugged it off, she just needed to be glad Tubbo is finally waking up early by himself.

"Morning, Niki" Niki hears a deep voice coming from behind her before a hand was placed on her shoulder, she turned her head to be face to face with a familiar person in a pig mask. She smiles politely at the pig masked man.

"Good morning, Techno. Did you eat breakfast yet?" Niki asked him, as she made extra sure in her mind that she cooked enough steaks for Techno, thankfully she didn't make any pork chops this time. Techno didn't reply except only grunting as an answer, his face expression seemed a little more down than usual. Techno wasn't really one to show his emotions much in his tone of voice or his facial expressions but in this moment Niki could just see a little hint of dejection through his frowning lips.

"Techno are you okay?" Niki asked again after Techno's short and stiff answer, the masked man didn't say a word except for a sigh as he takes his palm off of Niki's shoulders and his his arm inside his royal cloak.

"Yeah I uh, I'm just a little tired. I stayed up all night just hunting for things" He said before slightly taking off his mask just to rub his eyes, he didn't take his pig mask off fully, only partial. Niki slightly doubted that that was the reason why he looks so down since she's seen how Techno is whenever he doesn't sleep, he doesn't usually look this bad but maybe Niki was just overthinking and there was nothing to be worried about.

Niki and Techno headed back towards the furnaces to join Quackity eating some morning meal while the girl of the pact started to wonder if the three other men that are absent have eaten yet, or where they could be.

Meanwhile at the surface of Pogtopia, Wilbur was just sitting by a lake with his calf dipped in the cold and dirty water. He was just thinking about what his next plan to defeat Schlatt should be if this one with Quackity wouldn't work, Wilbur really needed Tommy at the moment since he could somehow think better with the blond boy by his side. Wilbur had realized how much of a child Wilbur has become, probably more child-like than Tommy which is saying something, these past few weeks he's been sick in the head and going crazy about blowing up things without giving a second thought, just like Tommy said before, he was reckless.

"Should I apologize to him, Philza?" Wilbur asked to the sky above, the clouds were white as paper and the sun was glowing and rising like the king of morning. The man with the black beanie didn't get a response to his question but it wasn't like he was expecting one, he just really needed his father figure by his side to tell him what to do since at the moment Wilbur was lost like a puppy in a forest. He didn't want to seem weak and ask advice from a 16 year old while he was already in his early twenties, but it only looks as though Tommy was the person who Wilbur can turn to.

Since Tommy did manage to defeat Wilbur a few times whenever he's about to press the button, it seems like Tommy could be one of the people that are Wilbur's weaknesses. Tommy knows how to get Wilbur to change his mind cause he knows his way around Wilbur's head like a mouse, which Wilbur really hates with how much this teenager knows his mentality.

"Philza, am I doing everything right? What would you do if you were in my shoes? You'd probably know how to solve all of this in no time flat, unlike me who happens to make everything worse and harder for everyone" Wilbur says to himself before lifting up his legs from the water and stretching his toes in and out as he examines the water droplets on his wet calf.

Wilbur got up from the clover green grass before he covered his face with both of his warm palms while sighing of exhaustion. He thinks about what he's supposed to do after this and came to the conclusion that he'll go to the button room, he wasn't planning on pressing the button though, he wanted to destroy the button for good since Wilbur has already made up his mind that he will do as to whatever Tommy says, and he knows how devastated Tommy will be if he sees the button still stuck perfectly on the wall. The little boy has been through enough stabs in the back, he doesn't need another one especially from a close brother like Wilbur.

Wilbur decided to just take Techno's horse to get to the button room since it's quite far away and Wilbur didn't have much energy in the morning to walk all the way there without breakfast. Wilbur just hoped that Techno hasn't already taken his horse to go hunting and murder shit, but once Wilbur went back to the Pogtopia secret entrance he sees in the hole that no horse ears were popping out from it, the beanie man groans while walking over until he fully sees that the hole had no horse in it whatsoever.

What he did notice was a piece of paper that is dug not too deep into the dirt, you can see the edges of the papers beneath it. Wilbur tilted his head while he furrowed his eyebrows, he gets a bit curious how a random paper could get in there. His first few thoughts of this was between How did this get in here? And Is this a letter? Is it by Schlatt?

Wilbur jumped down into the hole with his hands in the pockets of his black jacket, he crouches down to pick up the piece of paper while also dusting off the dirt from it. He didn't think much of the paper until he reads the paragraph written on it with charcoal. As his dark pupils dance around the paper every few seconds his heart began beating out of his chest and would eventually break out, he froze his whole body in place while both his hands tightened into a hard fist. Wilbur rereads the note many many times to make sure he wasn't going crazy or that he wasn't only imagining things in his head again.

By now minutes had passed but it felt like hours, Wilbur just couldn't seem to snap out of his trance while he reads the paper hundreds of times over and over again while the feeling of dull swallows him.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, holy fucking shit" Wilbur cursed many times as the feeling of panic finally kicked into him, he climbed out the hole in less than a second before running inside towards Pogtopia, he was just preparing his vocals to yell out to the Pogtopians about this sudden unnerving news. Wilbur almost tripped on his feet while walking down the stairs as he struggled to keep his balance. He sees Niki, Techno and Quackity talking to eachother about something that Wilbur didn't seem to even take a moment care for at all.

"Guys! GUYS!" Wilbur shouted as he grabs the nearest person to him, Quackity, by his shoulders in an aggressive manner. The three people whipped their heads at Wilbur in shock at the surprise yell coming from him.

"Woah, Wilbur what's wrong?" Quackity asked with worry in his voice, he didn't know what was wrong with Wilbur that can make him look so tense and petrified as this, the only conclusion that Quackity can really come up with is that this has something to do with Schlatt possibly.

"Wilbur? Is everything okay?" Niki walked towards the beanie wearing man with a soft and calming voice hoping that Wilbur's trembling one could be as calm as hers. Niki was just as confused as Quackity on what is happening to Wilbur that made him so panicked, he wasn't even able to form words out of his mouth except for stammers, it's like he had seen a ghost. Niki was still slightly relieved that Wilbur is safe and that he wasn't messing with Schlatt, but she still wasn't sure where Tommy and Tubbo is. By now those two boys should already be here eating food and joking with the others and messing around, should they?

"They-they're gone, they left. They're not here anymore" Wilbur was only able to say those words before nervous chuckles took his tongue over, Niki and Quackity were still as puzzled as before, they both took a glance at eachother and then back at Wilbur who looked as though he had lost his mind, not really sure if he was sad or happy in this situation. His glassy eyes are filled with tears that are soon to fall down his cheek like a waterfall, his hard grip on Quackity's shoulders are almost full with all the strength he has.

Technoblade, the masked adult standing the furthest from the other three, didn't react at all despite Wilbur's attention grabbing state. He didn't even take a single step closer to comfort Wilbur and try to calm him down, the masked man just simply lowered his head to look at his own dirty shoes while his negative thoughts are already giving him a hard time focusing on Wilbur. Techno hated this feeling of guilt and grieve, he's never been in a state like this before which made the man confuse on what he should do whenever he's in a situation much like this one.

"Read! Read, fucking read this Quackity! They're gone, gone from us, long gone and we will never see a single trace of them ever, ever again. Can you believe it? I always knew those two will one day have enough of us" Wilbur shoved the scrambled up paper into Quackity's chest. Speechless and stunned, Quackity took the paper from Wilbur and began reading it hesitantly afraid that it could be about something terrible, Niki joined in and read along with Quackity from over his shoulder. As the two read the paper slowly and surely, they feel their lives were taken away from them and turned upside down with whole new possibilities that they could never have expected.

"What the fuck? What the actual fuck? Is this— No I don't believe this, Wilbur what the fuck is this? Where did you get it?" Quackity shakes his head while his eyes were still glued stuck onto the paper as he didn't believe a word this paper is saying, by the very corner of his hearing he could just hear Niki's faint sobs while she shuts her mouth closed with her palm, her eyes showing her heartbreak.

"No, no, no please God no. Wil-Wilbur...." Niki lowered her head down until her hair falls fromher shoulders, she cupped her mouth trying to prevent empty sobs from escaping. Niki wasn't crying, none of her tears were slipping, probably because she was in an absolute overwhelming state cause all her feelings came rushing in her like a sudden knife into her chest. She had so much emotion in her that she didn't know how to let out, anger, sadness, shock, regret and much more. Tommy and Tubbo, Niki would never forget the moment where the three of them were watching the sunset on the oak tree while promising to stick together, what ever happened to that? Did they really forget about Niki that easily?

"It's- It's real alright! I saw it in the hole where Techno's horse is. The horse is gone, they took Techno's horse, they took your horse did they Techno?!" Wilbur then turned his focus to Technoblade who's been oddly quiet and not reacting at all, he didn't even read the letter. The Blood God sighed and finally took a few steps towards the group, he took the letter from Quackity's hand and took a brief look at it before putting the paper inside his pocket. Still no reaction at all, no one was sure he even read the thing.

"Okay, well. Now that Tommy and Tubbo left the party, what do you think we should do?" Technoblade asked the group while folding his arms together, everyone was a bit speechless at the moment due to the sudden shock they got, they all need at least a few minutes to process what's happening.

"It's...they can't actually leave can they? This has to be Schlatt, it has to be. There's no way Tommy would give up and take Tubbo with him, Schlatt probably kidnapped them and-and wrote this letter. He probably has them captured in a jail cell or some shit" Quackity said as he was still in massive denial and wouldn't admit the fact that the two youngest boys have left, Wilbur was still unsure about that statement since the handwriting on the note looked awfully the same as Tommy's. But again Wilbur was still not believing that Tommy and Tubbo had actually left them to rot here, just as when Wilbur made up his choice to follow what Tommy says, he just left.

"Should we go talk to Schlatt and confront him about this?" Wilbur glanced at each of his group members, they all still had numbness on their faces, but Quackity was the first to and Niki nodded after but was still hesitant about it. Pretty sure Techno didn't need to give out his answer since it was obvious he'll join the group no matter what they could be doing. All four people gathered their supplies, armor and weapons just incase they'll get attacked by any of Schlatt's minions. With their emotions shifting from sorrow to full on bravery, they head towards their old home L'manberg, without even trying to sneak in or hide themselves, they just walked in through the gates in plain sight with the little armor they had on them in Pogtopia.

The only L'manberg people that are outside are Schlatt's three main guards. Ponk, Purpled, and Punz, the three of them were just walking through and trying to take down the Festival decorations and stands. The three of them looked as though they were struggling to work together since they seem to be either fighting, arguing and messing around with eachother. Wilbur being the person at the front of his group, stomped over toward the three men while gripping harder on his enchanted diamond sword to he ready incase they attack, he clears his throat to them and the three all turned their heads.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. May I speak to Mr. Schlatt?" Wilbur asked politely but his voice still rather stern, one of his eyebrow raised higher than the other and his chest puffed up like he was proving to them he was tough. The P trio quickly got their fighting position ready once they saw Wilbur's friends all behind him getting defensive and ready to fight, what the P trio noticed is that they all looked very serious and very irritated but that information isn't important to them right now.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Ponk smiled devilishly while chuckling before he puts away his diamond sword and placed his hands on his hips, he stood in the middle between Punz and Purpled who they both still had their swords and shield out.

"It's the failure, the genocidal boar, the weak one, and the Mr. Unhelpful Vice President. Man we've got a handful here, where are the little boys eh? Are they too afraid to come upfront to us?" Punz teased while sticking his tongue out after saying his sentence, he sees Quackity glare at him by the nicknames he had given to Quackity's new friends. Quackity stepped up closer while he lifts up his sword but then Wilbur stopped him by pulling him back by his shoulder.

"Don't, Quackity. Look we just want to talk to Schlatt about something please? We're not looking for war or sword fightibg, for Christ sake it's like 8 in the morning it's too early for this. Can you just- ugh, take us to Schlatt?" Wilbur asked once again while he tries to maintain his patience in him, the trio in front of him all glanced at one another. Their serious and teasing faces now morphed to an unsure look, they were beginning to believe that the Pogtopians really do mean that they don't want to fight, but they still refuse to lower down their swords.

"Okaaaay, what do you guys want to talk to Schlatt about?" Purpled raised an eyebrow, his voice more calmer and friendlier than his other two group mates. Wilbur's face dropped slightly before he lowered his head and sighs in a sad manner, he turned around to face his friends for awhile to look at their downcast expressions before he turned back to look at the P trio.

"It's Tommy and Tubbo, we won't tell you anything more than that. Now take us to Schlatt" Wilbur explained rather shortly, the P trio glanced at eachother again as if they are communicating to one another with their minds, the three of them just shrugged and decided to oblige and escort them all to Schlatt. Walking around freely in L'manberg felt unusual for the Pogtopians since they were already starting to get used to hiding around by the bushes whenever they go through here and now they're walking in plain sight. This used to be their old home where they always felt safe within the high walls of L'manberg, and now that they took a moment to look around, much has completely changed and they couldn't even recognize it anymore.

Wilbur remembers him and Tommy building up the walls of L'manberg and wasting all their hardwork and sweat to create this country, now seeing that half of it has been destroyed and replaced with Schlatt's new buildings it felt like all that hardwork Wilbur and Tommy put in to meant nothing all along.

Quackity still felt the same, but he was feeling more on the guilty side rather than grieve. He sees the way Wilbur was looking devastatingly around his L'manberg, Quackity knows what Wilbur must be feeling and he felt bad for him honestly, can't say he didn't regret following whatever Schlatt does that took over the old L'manberg. Quackity really do miss the times where he and Wilbur used to hang around back then before the election, those times were actually a lot more simpler than being with Schlatt.

Finally, everyone has made it up towards the hill where the White House was originally build on. They all see the goatman himself standing in the middle of an unfinished new White House that he's already started building on, this only made Quackity's emotions more worse and dreadful. Schlatt looks up to see his three main guards and also four of his biggest enemies right in front if him, Schlatt's face wasn't amused nor was it shocked to see them there right in front of him.

"Purpled, Ponk, Punz, what the hell are these guys doing here?" Schlatt pinched the bridge if his nose as he was already feeling miserable to talk to his traitors, he was just looking for a day where he doesn't have to encounter anyone that's on his bad side, just for one day. But right now it doesn't seem like they're looking for a fight, they look like they want to reason with him about something so Schlatt will just let it slide for now.

"They want to—"

"You know exactly why we're here Schlatt, don't play dumb on us now" Ponk was cut off by Wilbur folding his arms together, he gave Schlatt a big scowl as he tried to examine Schlatt's behavior to see if there were any body language signs or the way he talks or his tone of voice just to know whenever Schlatt could be lying or not.

"Wilbur pal, so good to see you again after the Festival. I really do appreciate seeing you here right after all the shit that happened a few days back, anywho please just tell me why you and your comrades are here before I kick you all out of my country for the second time?" Schlatt said in a fake innocent manner, he thought that it was really not the time to be going apeshit this early in the morning, he hasn't even had his coffee yet which already puts the goatman in a bad mood, so he's just looking forward to get this over with.

"Don't pull this trick on us, we know you have them captive somewhere in a cage or a cell. Hand them back to us, we'll give you whatever you want, just let them free" Niki said while she stepped up in front of Wilbur with her full bravery, her diamond sword was put away and she was left with empty hands and her armor, she stood in front of Schlatt as he looked at her like she was a crazy lady on his doorstep.

"What the hell are you talking about? Set who free!?" Schlatt raised his voice at the girl in front of him as they both glare at eachother with deadly looks, still confused as ever to why these people who are going against him all want. His patience was starting to slowly run out and if these Pogtopians don't leave his country by the next ten minutes without a reason he's going to have to deal with them the hard and painful way, he really had no clue to what they're talking about.

"Tubbo and Tommy, you kidnapped them. Just tell us what you want and we'll give it to you in return for those two" Wilbur spoke up while pulling Niki behind him by her arm, that info didn't really help Schlatt at all out if anything it made him even more puzzled than before. This made Schlatt furrow his eyebrows closer together as he gritted his teeth hard, he tried restraining himself from letting out all his anger issues like he always does but by this time he has had enough and he didn't care if it was still early in the morning he just wanted a simple day where he wasn't attacked for once.

"Listen here buddy, I don't know where the fuck you get that information that I apparently have your itsy bitsy little boys with me since I couldn't give a single flying fuck about them. If you could just leave me alone that would be fine, I'm trying to be my nicest here Wilbur but you and your friends are making it so difficult for me. Either you leave my country or we'll do it the hard way" Schlatt grabbed firmly onto Wilbur's shirt collar as he pulls him closer towards his face, their noses only inches away from touching eachother. The P trio got their weapons out again while standing beside Schlatt in a defensive manner.

"Hey don't fucking touch him like that, bitch!" Quackity stomped up and pushed his ex partner from Wilbur with his palm, Schlatt blinked once at the sudden contact but once he sees his old Vice President standing right there in front of him, he smiled menacingly while putting his arms behind his back. He never thought he'll see that face ever again after the whole quarrel he had with Quackity a few days ago, he was expecting him to come crawling back once he had calmed down but to Schlatt's surprise he had actually joined the opposite team.

"Quackity! What a pleasure to meet you again, I was wondering where you've gone these pass few days. You just went missing after I had demolished your mess of a White House, too bad you joined Wilbur, I honestly was expecting more from you" Schlatt commented while looking up and down Quackity's dirty rugged tuxedo that he hasn't changed ever since he was with Schlatt, Quackity's whole face had turned red out of embarrassment as his self esteem decreases.

"Being here on Wilbur's side has been hundreds of times much better than dealing with your piece of goat shit, the White House doesn't matter to me anymore. You can do whatever the hell you want with it, replace it, destroy it, taunt me with it all you want but no matter what it doesn't change the fact how these people behind me are treating me like I actually matter something to them. Now give Tommy and Tubbo back to us, Asshole" Quackity scowled while his usual high, laugh spreading voice became a little more deeper and serious which really surprised people. Who knew someone as crackheaded as him can act this way, his three friends standing behind Quackity all gave a pleasant, heart touched smile at him.

"You will regret saying those words out of your mouth once you know how capable I could be, Quackity you've worked with me before you know how strong I am, and you know very well how your friends can never defeat me. Isn't that right, Flatty Pat—"

"OH YOU MOTHER FU—!"

"Hold it, Quackity"

Just as Quackity was raising his hard fist in the air and about to punch Schlatt across his face, Techno grabbed onto Quackity's arm and held it back with no shown of weakness at all. Everyone turned their heads towards the masked man with wide eyes, wondering what he had wanted to say, although they were also a bit shock at how strong Techno was, well yes they know he's strong but everytime Techno would do something that really shows his strength it never fails to surprise them.

"Schlatt isnt holding Tommy or Tubbo hostage. The both of them did run away and wrote the letter to say goodbye, they took my horse with them too. Schlatt has nothing to do with this" Techno explained with his monotonous voice, his friends all looked at him in even more shock that he would actually believe Schlatt and stay on his side. All three were still refusing to believe the painful truth and forcing themselves to blame it all on Schlatt, but Techno had some words to say to them, not so pleasing words. Wilbur walked up to Techno while shaking his head aggressively.

"No no no no no! Techno do you really think that Tommy and Tubbo left us? The letter must be fake, maybe Schlatt forced Tommy to write the letter th-that's why the handwriting looks like his!" Wilbur got a hold of Techno's upper arm and squeezed them tight, burying his fingers into Techno's fabric while he looks up and glued his stare deep at the pig mask that was staring back at him. Wilbur continued on blabbering and stammering at Technoblade while he sweats nervously as he tried and struggled giving all sorts of reason and assumption he had to prove that Tommy and Tubbo, the two most important people in his life are still there, with them, with him.

Techno couldn't do anything but sigh in an unhappy demeanor as he holds both of Wilbur's arms gently. He had his eyebrows narrow up with a small frown as he looks at Wilbur's teary eyes and fidgeting smile.

"I saw them, I saw them with my own two eyes Wil. Last night I planned on not sleeping in, I was outside sitting on the grass and just relaxing, I figured maybe I should go take out some cows and pigs to train myself so I head back to get my horse. But when I walked over towards the hole where my horse was, I saw the two boys talking to eachother while they both were on my horse, I stayed hidden in the trees while I watched them" Techno explained again, taking a brief look at each of his Pogtopian friends who had expressions of mortify, they were all speechless and were obviously looking very upset. They were eager to know the rest of the story by Techno but apparently the masked man had stopped his monologue there which doesn't seem to be enough to satisfy his friends.

"That's it?! Techno you-you let them leave us with your horse just like that?! You fuckin' didn't even try to stop them or interfere?!" Quackity yelled out to him in disbelief, he had thought that Techno has completely lost his whole mind to think that he didn't do anything to try and stop Tommy and Tubbo from leaving. Techno literally saw it happening right in front of him, he saw the two troubled boys get on his horse and trot away towards the direction of the moon, and Techno just watched from afar without doing anything.

"Techno why did you just tell us now?" Niki's voice was cracking and barely above a whisper, it was at this moment where she didn't feel as brave anymore as she was a few minutes ago cause now that she knows for sure that two of her friends had left her, two of her friends that she thought would never in a million years give up their country, now they just suddenly vanished with only a written paper as their only trace.

Wilbur at the meantime was still at loss for words, his hearing became muffled and all he can really catch up was sounds of Quackity shouting curse words at Techno while Niki stood quiet but empty as ever. Wilbur slowly let's go of Techno's upper arm and looked down at the grass and dirt below his feet. Mouth agape and eyes turning gray and dull, those two boys meant so much to Wilbur, and it was a horrible shame that Wilbur had only realized that now. Wilbur started thinking on what he has to so without them around anymore, everyone here are already adults unlike those two right? They can do everything all on their own, right? They didn't need Tommy's perseverance or a Lucky charm like Tubbo, nothing would change if they disappeared anyways would it?

Besides what made them leave so suddenly without a warning at all? The two of them seemed completely fine the day before their disappeared so why that night? Why so sudden? Did they snap and had enough of wars and fights?

Wilbur then blinked as he had just realized something like he had cracked a code. He only needed to put two and two together, as if the situation right now couldn't make Wilbur feel worst well it does now. Suddenly Wilbur started to run away, dashing out of L'manberg and out if it's territory as he runs and runs in full speed. Everyone on the hill stopped what they were currently doing and were all confused why Wilbur had just ran, Niki stared at Wilbur's figure growing smaller and smaller into the distance before she looked back at Quackity and Technoblade.

"What the Hell just happened? Mind telling me what's going on?" Schlatt asked again, still having no idea of what is happening but he also doesn't know for sure if he was supposed to be happy or sad about it.

"Shut the fuck up, Schlatt. This has nothing to do with you anymore, come on guys we're leaving this fucking place, I hate it here" Quackity spat out before he roughly grabbed Techno's arm and then turned around to grab Niki's before dragging them both down the hill with an annoyed expression, he lowered his head down while he closed his eyelids shut that so happens to be struggling to hold back shiny wet droplets from escaping his hurt dark brown orbs.

Schlatt and the P trio were left with no words at all, just utter confusion, but they still tried their best to shrug it off since it doesn't seem like it's their business, as long as the Pogtopians leave L'manberg without hurting anyone or destroying anything then nothing else matters to them.

Wilbur trampled over his way towards the place he didn't expect to be visiting again this soon, but at this moment he just had to look in the room, he had to check it, he just had to. He has this terrible gut feeling inside him that encourages him to check the room, it was like his body and mind had a reflex on it's own and the first thing they wanted to do was head towards the Button room. Inside the room Wilbur noticed immediately that something has changed, someone has been here without Wilbur knowing, they'vebeen here and left their faint dirty footprints on the floor and it wasn't a even question on who that someone is.

There were a lot less TNTs than it was the last time Wilbur stepped foot in the room, they took the TNTs with them which was a smart move, Wilbur already had shivers going down his spine as he started to feel sick in his stomach, while also getting small goosebumps on his arms beneath his sleeve. He looks around the cramped area and the difference that stands out the most out of anything else in the room was the one thing that Wilbur had feared the most, the missing button on the wall, they took the button, Tommy took the button.

Wilbur leaned his forehead against the hard and dusty stone wall at the place where the wooden button should be, the lower part of his arm leaning against it as well just above his forehead. He breathes heavily like he was huffing from being out of breath, he looked down at the hard cobblestone floor for a short while before a gush of reality hits him like a big bullet. Wilbur let's out broken chuckles to escape from his mouth to dance around the Button room making an echo, he sniffled his nose while muttering quietly to himself with his surrendered voice.

"Wilbur, you're so reckless"

"Hello? I know you're here somewhere" Techno called out to the person he wanted to meet at his friend's home, he looks around his friend's house and everything seemed really neat and clean, definitely not what he was expecting since he knew his friend can be a bit of a slob. Techno does see weapons hung on the wall everywhere which Techno wasn't at all that surprised, he was rather amused and interested.

"Nice house, by the way. Uh, listen I really need your help with something, I know I know I just barged into your house uninvited but I promise this is urgent" Techno said out loud again with his monotone voice that doesn't seem to be able to go any louder nor quieter, but the pig masked man knows that his friend is lurking somewhere in this house and he is just messing with Techno like the trickster he is.

"I know you're here and I know you can hear me, but you know what? Since you can listen to me I guess I'll just spill you the news now. It doesn't matter if I can't see you or not but uh, Tommy and Tubbo are gone basically" Technoblade fiddled his shows together, getting a little bit shy and feeling a little too much in the spotlight even though no one is watching him, he just felt uneasy being in the center of his friend's house, his very masterminded friend.

"What do you mean 'gone'? Are they dead or something? You know they can respawn dumbo" Techno's friend has suddenly appeared, he had jumped down from the tall ceiling which startled the masked man a little since Techno didn't even bother to look up at the ceiling. Techno was just glad to see his friend again after quite a while, he still remembers the last time he encountered his friend and they both were in a duel to fight eachother, Technoblade still thought that his friend would be in a bad mood with him since Techno had won the duel but he still wasn't sure.

"There you are, and no they didn't die. They left, they ran away from Dream SMP with a goodbye letter, it made everyone really devastated" Techno scratched the back of his head while looking away, his friend who was sitting on a nearby stool in front of him just tilted his head to the side while still having that creepy smile on his face, Techno never knew why his friend always had to keep that uneasy smile on his face but it didn't matter at the moment.

"Wow, you sure do sound devastated alright" His friend said sarcastically with a chuckle which Technoblade had no response to, since he was never really a guy who shows his emotions easily. But something about these two boys that have made a connection with Techno until he sees them like his own little brothers, it made a slight wrinkle of feelings in Techno's heart that he's never felt before. And knowing that he will possibly never feel that wrinkle again sort of made him unhappy.

"Look Me, Niki, Quackity and uh, Wilbur all want to get them back, we miss them and we really need your help for us to find them since you seem like a professional. At least, you're the only professional I know" Techno took a few small steps closer to his friend who was still looking at him with his signature smile, he stood quiet on his stool while trying to think of his choice for this decision, he strokes his chin with his index finger and thumb as he thinks.

"I know that you're surprised that Tommy and Tubbo ran away, I can see it and sense it under that smile of yours. I can't believe I'm actually saying this to someone like you but, please? I'm not good with saying 'please' to people so this is just my best shot" Techno groaned quietly since he just wanted to get this whole thing over with, and if his friend ends up not wanting to help him then that's okay with him too. Techno looks up at his friend who didn't move at all on his stool except for his dangling legs, there was an awkward silence for a whole minutes until Techno's friend finally spoke up.

"Did those two really...?"

"Yes, yes they did. Saw them last night, they took my horse" Techno said which was then cut off with his friend chuckling at Techno's sentence. Just the thought of two dumbass teenage boys really just stole a big strong adult man's horse from him as simple as that, Techno only rolled his eyes since he could just get a new and better horse anyways, even though he was pretty attached to that one.

"So? What do you say?" Techno asked his friend with a raised brow, he extended his arm towards his friend for a handshake like some sort of deal was happening, his friend chuckled one last time before grabbing Techno's hand and shake it gently.

"Yeah, sure I'll join in your little search party with the others. Just hold on a second let me change to a new green hoodie first, I'm all covered in dirt and shit cause I just finished playing a round of Manhunt a few hours ago"

.


	6. His Green Hat

Mornings could never have been much more quieter and more peaceful than this one, finally a morning and possibly a whole day where we don't have to wake up on our beds wondering and debating if today there will be another war or another situation that will be a pain in the ass, a whole day that seems to be a new start for a new chapter or even a new story. A story piled up within chapters upon chapters full of nothing but smiles and hot chocolate, a story where it's better and brighter than the prequel.

A story where the morning sunlight shines down onto the world with more calm than usual mornings, it fills up hope so much that it makes you feel like you'll be a lucky person today. This is what it feels like for the two boys, describing what they're feeling in this orange morning is like painting a portrait of green mountains that lay heavily on earth. Tommy and Tubbo, off to venture into the very last page of this sickening story and opening a new one where it's filled with tranquility.

The two boys got ready from the hill they had slept on, they still remember last night where they had fun dancing and singing under the stars and getting a little sample feeling of freedom. Just having that thought in them that they will feel freedom for the rest of their lives now was incredible and nothing like they have felt before, it was like they've been tied down by ropes onto the floor and they had just broken free from those thick ropes that bruised their wrists. The boys quickly cooked some food for breakfast while they talk and joke around with eachother, sure it was a little more lonelier without Wilbur's teasing or Quackity's loud yells or Niki's soft giggles, but as long as they make sure that one another is safe then that's all it takes to make the two happy.

"Which way do you think we should head to, Tubbo?" A fellow blond lad looks over his shoulder to face his dear friend that he handed his full devotion to, Tubbo, the browner haired looked all over his surroundings for an answer while he hums.

"How about we go west? If my instincts are correct, we'll find ourselves in the Taiga biome" Tubbo says while he points towards the west direction, Tommy cringes a bit as he began to remember that moment with a man named Technoblade where he told Tommy to head west during a fight against the L'manberg citizens, but it wasn't a terrible memory though, to Tommy it was quite a funny sort of stupid one and it only made him miss the pig masked man much more. But Tommy decided to shrug it off for now since it really isn't the time to be thinking about something like that, he mounts Techno's horse and helped Tubbo up with pulling his hand.

The two of them continued on their journey once again, but now with a less devastating atmosphere like last night, now they had small smiles on their faces while they look around their surroundings since it seems to be the only source of entertainment they had. Their surroundings are filled with healthy plants and trees placed all over, and pigs with sheep and cows roaming around freely with their babies just eating the grass.

Meanwhile with the brown haired boy who was sitting at the very end of the horse, he dangles his legs up and down on the edge as he already began to think of his future, what buildings he's going to build with his best friend and who they're going to recruit with them along the way. And what about a new country name? L'manberg was a really good name but now that it's already been taken and morphed to a name of a horrible place, looks like they have to think of another creative title. Tubbo turned his ocean blue pupils onto his friend sitting closely in front of him, Tubbo was only able to view his friend's back view of his blond fluffy hair and spine.

Tubbo sighed before he rested his chin on top of Tommy's shoulder and looked up at Tommy's focused face that was eyeing the path.

"Tommy, what you wrote in our goodbye letter, do you actually want to go back and get our friends once we finish with our own nation?" Tubbo asked his friend. The blond lad didn't say a word but he clearly paid his attention towards Tubbo's question which made him slightly lost for words to form an answer, he wasn't so sure of that statement anymore.

"Tubbo I, well, I'm having second thoughts. I know this seems selfish of me and I hate it, but I really don't want to see them again, I'd love to of course but what I don't want is for them to carry war. I'm still not sure if Wilbur's crooked mind is fixed and I don't know if Techno is still blood thirsty, and Quackity I'm still not sure about him cause who knows if he can easily fall into Schlatt's hands again. And Niki..." Tommy pondered before pausing with a sharp inhale, he wasn't sure what to say about Niki since really she has been innocent the whole time, she was only a confused girl who wanted peace just as much as Tommy does. And the blond boy had to admit he felt little sprinkles of guilt once he said her name, who knows how heartbroken she must felt when she had to read the letter, just picturing her hurt expression was already bad enough.

"Yeah, what about Niki? Surely we need to head back and get her one day, please?" Tubbo pleaded with now a frown and narrowed brows, the boy had made a really good connection with Niki and has bonded quiet a lot with her, both of them have talked their feelings out about how they're doing throughout everything that's been going on for the past few weeks of being held captive in L'manberg. Tubbo wished he could have those conversations again with Niki, but now he has his good friend Tommy with him which wasn't a bad thing, but Niki was also a friend of Tubbo and he really missed her company.

"Alright Big man, if you really want Niki back then we'll come get her the second we finish our country I guess" Tommy sighed out with a frown as a way of him showing his fake 'annoyance' impression, deep inside he will happily do anything just to make Tubbo happy since he really owed him a lot. Tubbo didn't really care about Tommy being 'annoyed' by him and just cheered with his arms up in the air.

The Taiga biome was already pretty close, at least judging by the river that the boys had come across on. They followed the river path to see where it will take them in hopes that they would find their new place to start building their very own L'manberg, the Taiga biome seems like a good place to start building since that biome is known to have the best views with the all the rivers, mountains and small islands.

But sadly, as they trotted with their horse down the river, the river took them to a few plants of sugar cane and a sandy desert biome. The two boys began to frown knowing they didn't end up on the biome they had planned to see but the still had their hopes up in the desert. Maybe they would find themselves a desert temple that holds useful items for them? Who knows, but alas they went to the direction of the yellow sand and looked around just to keep an eye out for any temples. Tommy pulls out his diamond sword just for protection, even if it was already day time and all the mobs have probably burned themselves, he's still a little anxious.

"You stood there and watched? Really Techno?" A former man said with a breathy chuckle at the end, not because he found the statement funny, it was rather a nervous and awkward chuckle. He was walking beside his good friend Technoblade who had just barged into his house in the middle of the morning only to bring in news that two fellows that he didn't really care for have ran away from the Dream SMP. Technically they two of them are still in it but they are far, far away from the other people in this SMP, it was a very stupid choice of them to even try to run away.

"Listen here, okay? I let them leave because of a reason, I'm not a dumb idiot who sits there quietly and nonchalantly watch them run away. I've known for a while that one day they would make this decision, you know how teenagers work" Technoblade shrugged without even looking at his friend, if he even sees this man beside him as his friend anymore. The two of them had had ups and down lately and have gone against eachother for awhile, their friendship was a bit complicated that not even Techno knows if they're still holding grudges with eachother or not. But since the current situation Techno was in is a little bit of a serious issue, he had to get any help he could find even if he had to ask his enemy, but it was only for the sake of his friends wanting to search for the two boys nothing else.

"So is L'manberg, y'know, boooom! Psshh!" The man said while making gestures with his hands which Techno finds really weird, the pig masked male gave a puzzled look at his friend as a method of slightly judging him and wondering why he even knows a person who acts like this, but then again Techno is somehow friends with so many other weird people so he was used to it.

"Actually nevermind" Techno's friend muttered kind of disappointingly while cowering his head downwards to face the muddy ground they're stepping on, the two of them were making their way towards Pogtopia through the grass and it was actually a pretty long walk back to Pogtopia. Earlier Techno had used all his ender pearls to go to his friends house, it was quite a shock that both men so happen to not have any spare ender pearls in their pockets despite them being the two most powerful people in the SMP, but then again it's early in the morning so who can blame them.

Once the two men have made it to the front entry of Pogtopia, Techno's friend looked over at the ominous empty hole right at the front where his horse was suppose to be in. Now he has understand that Techno wasn't only bluffing just to get his attention, Tommy and Tubbo really are gone. The two of them enters the entrance while Techno's friend was still having his head staring at the hole, the two of them walked down the cramped stone and wooden stairs of Pogtopia, it has been a while since Techno's friend has been in this place, he could've sworn it was a lot more high spirited than this.

He sees two people talking to eachother, the Vice President and a former women soldier. They didn't exactly have bright looks on their faces, out of anything they seem very distressed and worried out of their shoes. The man and the woman looked up when they heard the wooden stairs creak, they see Techno and the face of a person they never thought to see again, at least not so soon.

"Dream?" The two of them said in unison while their stunned pupils glued stuck onto Dream's figure, he waves awkwardly with a nervous smile. He didn't know if the two of them would be comfortable with him being there, not after all the history he had in this SMP. The only person Dream felt comfortable with at the moment is with Techno, he wasn't sure if Niki or Quackity would enjoy his company. But he had also realized that Wilbur wasn't present, Dream will probably feels less uneasy if Wilbur was here since Wilbur is the person he is in the most good terms with.

"Hey, uhh, I brough an old friend here with me. You know, just thought he could be of help" Techno shrugged while lifting his arm up slightly to formally introduce his friend, now identified as Dream, as if Quackity and Niki don't already know who he is. The two of them shared an uneasy glance at eachother before looking back at the two masked men in front of them, they see Dream's usual smiling mask on his face. The mask is dirty and it's bright white color has turned slightly gray due to how old it is, does he really only own one of those white smiley masks?

"Okay, why the fuck is this guy here? If I recall the last time we saw him it was a few months ago and he started a war with those guys er, what are they called? Snapchat and Jeremy" Quackity folded his arms together with a little pout, Dream didn't feel a single hint of offending nor is he hurt but he instead tried to hold back a chuckle that's stuffed inside his mouth because of the hilarious incorrect names of his dumb two friends.

"He's a nice person now, I think at least. Don't make him mad, Quackity. He's one of if not the strongest and powerful person in this SMP, he's the one who created this world anyways so finding Tommy and Tubbo would be as easy as pie with his help" Techno took a step closer to Quackity, but the shorter boy took a step back just to keep his distance from the Blood God cause of how baffled he is of him, he looked at him in shock of the words that came out of that pig mask.

"Really Techno? Really? Now you want to go find Tommy and Tubbo? After you just witnessed them leave and did nothing about it? Oh yeah that makes sense" Quackity pestered while he was still having none of Techno's words, Quackity was starting to not act like his usual self anymore, he was just becoming furious at everything. He was only frustrated because two boys that he had befriended have left him without a proper explanation, only to be left with a dumb goodbye letter. Techno on the other hand was starting to feel a hint of annoyance right at the back of his heart, it was like he's been in this exact situation before, and he's right, it's the whole 'You killed Tubbo!' moment all over again.

"Quackity hey, listen, I know you're not always this cranky version of yourself. I know you're in a bad mood after the horrible news but trust me, I'll help you and the others to find them in no time flat. We're all worried for them and we are all in a bad mood that they left, you're not the only one" Dream now finally spoke up and had stepped in between Quackity and Techno as his voice sounded hush through his white creepy mask that muffled his phrases, he placed a hand on Quackity's shoulder as a way of comforting him like a teacher would do to a student. The shorter, beanie man in front of Dream was about to open his mouth to say something but realized in the last minute that it would all be pointless to keep fussing in the end and surrendered with a sigh of defeat.

Looking at Dream's faceless figure was pretty intimidating, especially whenever Dream starts to talk more serious and his tone became a little more deeper and stern. Your thought when you see his mask for the first times is most likely how creepy it looks but after a week or two it just became a normal average thing, the mask was covering Dream's entire face and the only parts of his head that are exposed are his ears and dirty blond hair.

"So, are we leaving to find them now? We need to hurry before they get far" Niki pointed out while hesitating if she should tug onto Quackity's sleeve for his attention. The three men didn't give a reaction or a response to her, they all either didn't acknowledge Niki's question or they just didn't hear it.

"Dream, should we bring Sapnap and George with us? Are they busy?" Techno asked his green hoodied friend who only stood quiet to think of an answer, since he usually has a schedule for his two closest friends whenever they need to train with eachother or if they plan on doing some more Manhunt games.

"Sadly no, I think Sapnap is busy training since I gave him a new enchanted diamond sword yesterday, and George is busy too and besides I'm pretty sure he's still against you all" Dream said while he strokes his chin with his thumb and index finger, Quackity's shoulders slumped at the thought of George, god knows if George will be Schlatt's new Vice President or not, or if George has even heard the news that Quackity has quitted.

"Guys, where do you think Wilbur ran off to?" Niki tried asking the group again but like last time, they ignored her as they were too busy focusing on plans and methods to find the two youngest blokes, which made the woman of the pact a little irritated but still kept her composure in like the lady she is.

"Should we use a compass to track Tommy and Tubbo down?" Quackity suggested with his index finger up in the air, Dream started grinning behind his mask at that smart idea, it was fortunate that he still has his spare compass in his inventory. Dream gave Quackity a thumbs up at the idea before he stuffed his fist into the pocket of his black jeans, he pulled out his scuffed compass to show the whole group.

"Oh sweet, this will be easy" Techno said with an amused smile as he eyed on the compass in Dream's palm. Dream took a closer look at the compass and turned it around to open the back lid to see if he can code the compass and mess with it's wires a little so it could point towards the direction of one of the boys Tommy or Tubbo.

"Hellooo?"

"But unfortunately they both had left last night, which according to my math skills they left hours ago. So it could mean that they're already thousands of blocks away from us by now" Niki was then interrupted with Techno's recalling of something that wasn't obvious already, he didn't necessarily help the group to hype up but not for Dream, Dream is still pretty sure and determined that Tommy and Tubbo couldn't have gone that far. Besides they're not good at fighting or surviving all by themselves let alone traveling far while mobs are everywhere, they probably went for a few blocks away and slept through the whole night.

"Can any of you listen to me?"

"No no, as much as it's a bit mean to say it, they're not that strong or brave. They're still pretty young afterall so it's most likely that they haven't gone that far, they probably only traveled twice the distance between my house and Pogtopia" Dream infromed while he was still focusing on coding the compass, the group seemed pretty pleased to hear that answer so there shouldn't be anything to be worried about should it?

Niki was getting more and more annoyed that none of these men are paying a single attention to her struggling trying to ask them a question, living as a woman in this century really is challenging but never difficult. She took a deep breath before she stomped her feet onto the stone ground with a loud yell that seemed to caught everyone off guard.

"Boys!"

The three men turned their heads towards Niki with a startled face which then quickly morphed into a mixture of fear, knowing they had angered a woman made them realize they're probably going to get smacked on the head if they're not lucky enough today. Niki scrunched her nose with a sigh along with a groan as she questions how she ended up being friends with these kinds of men in the first place.

"As I was saying, do you guys know where Wilbur is? He ran off to a place earlier and I don't know where he could be" Niki reminded, Quackity looks over at Techno as he does the same to him, the two of them had also just remembered Wilbur suddenly ran off earlier and they still don't know where he could be. Meanwhile Dream was still a bit surprised that none of the Pogtopians know where Wilbur is, since Dream had figured they hang around with eachother all the time.

Then all four of them heard faint footsteps walking down the wooden staircase as it creaks, they all hung their head up high to view the stairs and to their surprise they see Wilbur coincidentally just walking down to them. He looked absolutely dead panned, like he had just made the biggest mistake of his life and he's thinking so hard to figure out how to undo it, or possibly fix it, which is quite similar to the actual situation he is in.

"Oh hey Wilbur, we were just talking about you" Quackity greeted him, although he would've been more energetic about it but since he had noticed how dull and hopeless Wilbur's expression was, Quackity's got himself a little dumbstruck.

"Wilbur, you okay? You look horrible, n-not in a offensive way it's just that you...err" Technoblade was also fumbling up on his choice of words as he doesn't really know what to say, should he comfort him and assume that Wilbur is just sad like everyone else that Tommy and Tubbo left? Since everyone in the SMP knows how close those two boys are to him, Wilbur probably feels so awful. The curly man made his way down the stairs without a word said except for anxious lip biting and his hands concealed by his pockets on his coat.

Niki was quick to rub on Wilbur's upper arm just as soon as he joined the circle shaped standing position the whole group was in. Niki felt the fabric of Wilbur's dark coat and she had noticed small little wet stains on Wilbur's lower arm part of his sleeve, it can only mean that he either got some water splashed on him that came from a water source from the surface or he's been by himself shedding his tears, only one of those suppositions is more likely than the other.

"Techno I think I now understand why you let them go, it was probably a smart choice now that I put a thought to it" Wilbur shakes his head gently while closing his exhausted eyes, he didn't even take a single flinch to acknowledge that Dream was there with them, it was like Dream had always been there the entire time. Techno didn't feel as happy when he heard that Wilbur saying he understood him, then again he doesn't show much emotion to begin with, he felt a sort of sympathetic instead of relief.

"Think about it, Tommy and Tubbo, they must have ran away with a reason. They ran away because they couldn't take being here anymore. Just like what they said in their letter, they surrendered taking back L'manberg, not because they were bruised or not strong enough, it's cause they're still young and they had so much emotional trauma. 16 year olds can't handle being—" Wilbur began to stutter and stopped his sentence like something had caught his breath, he stammers to say the trigger word that seemed to be what is making him struggle to hide the sharp pain he was feeling, he had really realized how much he'd fucked up and how everything here has gone spiraling down just right when Tommy is gone.

"—betrayed, yes betrayed. And uh, I just think that this is all my fault, they're not here anymore because of me" Wilbur said while his guilt kept building up higher and higher in his shoulders, he thought that Tommy and Tubbo have left everyone and the whole map only because of him, they had their last straw and Wilbur took it. He couldn't help but just mentally scream at himself that he should've been more careful about his decisions and consequences, now both of his closest people are gone and there are no other people that are more in the blame than him, what if they don't even want to go back? What if Tommy or Tubbo are happier without them? Is that what Wilbur really wants? Do they hate him?

"Oh Wilbur don't say that, this is none of our faults" Niki comforted the troubled man as the other three men nodded in agreement, but Wilbur was still not believing a single word that implies he isn't in the wrong. Everything was already a living Hell for him and Tommy after they were banished from L'manberg so why did he have to make it harder for the teenager by going apeshit and plan to blow everything up? He was suppose to be a role model for Tommy, at least that's what Philza told him. He had brought this upon himself and it was a dumb move to not think that Tommy would run away, and of course he'd bring his best friend with him.

"It is, I just fucking know it is. If all of you know the full story then you'd probably hate me by now, you'd probably leave me like the two of them did. Everything has been my fault from the beginning and none of you would probably have a thought to forgive me, I really did mess up terribly and I've been such a horrible brother to then and—" Before Wilbur could finish his long and stammering sentences that are closer and closer to giving him a panic attack, Quackity's hand was quick to smack Wilbur right across his face which then made everyone all flinch and widened their eyes at the sudden movement.

"Wilbur, buddy, pal. We get it, you think it's all your fault that they are gone but trust me we don't really care about that situation at the moment, see here we've got pissbaby on our side so we should have nothing to be worried about so snap out if it, it is none of our faults. Si?" Quackity muttered to the older man as he grabbed roughly onto the collar of his cloak, both of them had their faces so close to eachother they could just feel the other one breath on their skin. Wilbur sighed and nodded gently with still sorrow lidded eyes, Quackity let's go of the collar and backed away with still a very concerned look at Wilbur.

"Alright, now that we've all calmed down let's actually start our search party, okay? Everyone good?" Dream makes a quick recheck on everyone just to make sure that all of them have agreed on this idea and calmed their misery down, they all darted their pupils towards eachother and then at Dream before they all gave a short nod of to the green hoodied man. Dream then turned his main train of focus back onto the tool in his palm, he squinted his eyes as a way to look closer into the wires of the compass and continue on coding to track down players, it's been awhile since Dream had used to compass to point it towards certain people so he hopes that he'd manage to, the one that's usually good at coding is George since he always uses his compass to track down Dream in those Manhunts.

With a satisfying clicking sound emitting from the small round to, Dream began to smile behind his white mask with full of relief as he reads the tiny green digital letters typed on the small rectangular black screen inside the compass.

' _The Compass is pointing at Tubbo__ '

"Tubbo, have you grabbed any of the stuff yet? Make sure you don't accidentally press on the pressure plate!" Tommy yells out while he crouches near the surface of the Desert temple, he looks down inside the wide hole where his companion had currently jumped inside of. Tubbo looked in all the chests and there weren't much valuables inside, only two golden apples, some gun powder and lots and lots of sand poured everywhere. Tubbo sighs and puts the two golden apples inside his inventory while he replies out to Tommy.

"Only a couple of golden apples! But no armor though" Tubbo responded halfheartedly, he pulled out a few wooden blocks and started towering back up towards the top while he was careful to not slip and fall and hit the pressure plate and explode the entire building and himself. Tommy from the surface only sighed but was still great-full to have some items that strengthens him, when Tubbo made it a little close towards the surface Tommy grabbed onto both of Tubbo's hands and helped him up by lifting him onto the Desert temple ground.

"So should we find for another Desert temple? Or should we try looking for the Taiga biome again?" Tubbo questioned while he dusts off his outfit with his hands, some of the sand have even got inside his shoes. Tommy scratches the back of his head while he tries to think of an answer, the Desert biome is really hot and it made the two boys tired already, Tommy sees how exhausted Tubbo looks after he came out of the Desert temple hole so he didn't want to make his friend even more sweaty.

"We'll go look for the Taiga biome, it's boiling here in the Desert. Let's head back to Horsie" Tommy patted Tubbo's shoulder before he walked away out of the Desert temple, he hears behind him Tubbo giving a breathy chuckle.

"It's boiling in the Desert, yeah no shit. Next time let me know if It'll be cold in the North Pole" Tubbo mocked while still chuckling, Tommy looked behind him to give his friend a look of displeasure before looking away with bitter.

"I don't like whenever you make fun of me, it was supposed to be the other way around and it should stay like that" Tommy frowned before folding his arms on top of his puffed out chest, Tubbo rolled his eyes with a cheeky grin as he skipped over beside Tommy so the two boys walked out of the temple together side by side. They had expected to see their horse waiting simply in front of the sandy building but to their surprise, there was no horse in sight. The two boys looked around for their horse but they were nowhere to be seen at all, it made the two lads panic and vigorously look around the temple while shouting it's name.

"Horsie?! Horsie!" Tubbo yelled out while he walks behind the temple, hoping with his whole heart that Horsie didn't trot away that far, how could he be so stupid to not put a leash on them? What if they walked into a cactus and got themselves hurt?

"Horsiee! Big man where are you?!" Tommy called out while he climbs up the temple to get a good look of the entire Desert to see if he can spot a dark brown horse somewhere amongst the sand. The Desert biome is a wide and spacious area so looking for a big plain sighted horse couldn't be that hard, could it? Fortunately Tommy was able to see a familiar silhouette at the distance that seems to be the perfect shape and size for a horse, he gasped quietly before jumping down from the temple that almost took him tons of damage.

"TUBBO! I see them!" Tommy screamed out to his friend who was standing confusingly at Tommy's far right, the blond bloke ran as fast as he could towards the horse with the brown haired bloke trailing close behind him. They were huffing from being very out of breath and are so tired with all the sun and heat in this dry desert, Tommy had his head facing down while he stumbles on his steps against the sand that brushes the dusts before his trail. Tommy wasn't looking at where he was running towards properly but he was just going at the same direction of the horse and hope that he'd just reach the horse, he was luckily able to look up for a brief second and he sees something green right beside the horse.

To his horror, he thought that it was probably a creeper yet to explode or a sharp deadly cactus, both assumptions lead to no good for the horse and Tommy wasn't looking for being in the mood to witness the horse getting killed right in front of him.

"Tubbo! There's- there's a creeper that's beside them Tubbo!" Tommy yelled out to his friend again while looking behind him just to make sure Tubbo wasn't far of a distance, Tubbo meanwhile was getting quite out of breath but once he had notice the creeper beside the horse, it was like his energy had came back up to his body. Tubbo again panicked and with all his might he sprinted faster until he was at the same pace as Tommy, probably almost accidentally going pass him. The two boys had ran for a few minutes but it felt like it had been hours, but once they have finally reached their animal companion the both of them were too exhausted and couldn't help but put their hands on their knees and take in a few deep breaths, they didn't even get a single chance to look up at their horse to see if it was okay.

But Tommy could only view the sand ground and the dark hoofs of the horse, he was just relieved that it hadn't been killed or bruised badly. But the other thing that Tommy saw from his low point of view was a pair of feet, not nude feet but feet wearing black sandals, Tommy's brows furrowed as he started feeling confused.

Tommy finally had the energy to lift his own head up with curiosity to see what could be present in front of him, his eyes immediately widened at the sight he was seeing, his back now straightened up to a better posture while his huffing mouth was ever so slightly agape.

He sees a man, a rather much older man than him, he had his hand holding on to the brittle of Horsie. His green and white hat, his green cloak, his darker shade of green shirt he was wearing beneath it. It was unbelievable, it was a big surprise, it wasn't what Tommy would expect to see, he thought it couldn't be possible.

"Tommy, is Horsie alright?" Tubbo says in between heavy huffs, he still had his eyes closed shut and head cowering down facing the sand. Tommy's whole figure froze, preventing him from replying which made Tubbo slowly look up at his speechless friend while waiting for his answer, but he sees Tommy's face is very baffled and deep in staring. It was then Tubbo had finally took notice to his surroundings and saw the green hat man upon him, Tubbo let's out a quiet and small gasp but his reaction was no different than Tommy's.

"Philza?" Tubbo muttered the man's name under his breath, Tubbo had his palm close to his hung opened mouth. The older man standing in front of the two boys gave a warming smile which made the corner of his eyes wrinkle.

"Hello boys, didn't expect to see you both here. I seem to have caught your horse, I fed 'em some carrots since they look hungry. Anyway, what brings you two here? I thought you were—"

"Philza how are you here?! We-I thought that you- I thought you're gone!" Tommy had snapped out of his trance and began to blabber out questions with a stressed expression without letting Philza speak, he was just absolutely surprised to see him here standing right in front of him, all fine and normal. Tommy took a few steps closer to Philza while still shouting out words and stuttering trying to say them at the same time.

"We-we've never seen you in so long! We thought you have died and- and left I don't fucking know but I haven't seen you since I was...since I was...thirteen, where have you gone?! Whe-wha..." Tommy had his hands gripping on his dirty blond hair, he didn't know what to say or what to think or even what his feelings should be. Is it anger? Is it shock? Sad? Happy? He was so overwhelmed it made his heart beat out if his chest, Philza only stood quiet as he waited patiently for Tommy to stay calm.

"Philza, we thought you died, I mean yeah you can respawn but that time...three years ago you didn't appear next to your bed when you- and just...what?!" Tubbo was just as puzzled as Tommy was, both boys where appalled and they couldn't seem to shut up about it. They begged for answers at this moment from the older man, Tommy and Tubbo have already expected to see and meet people on their journey, but if you were someone who had told them they'd meet their old Father figure in a Desert biome, the two boys would burst out laughing.

"Boys, boys. Calm down, alright? Calm down" Philza gently placed both of his hands on Tommy and Tubbo's shoudlers and stroking them at a slow pace as a method to make them more still and less alarmed, Philza still remembers this method he always used on them as children whenever they're stressed or having a temper tantrum, it never failed to help them and it was quite a surprise it still works. The two young boys looked at Philza with dilated eyes.

"I know it's a shock to see me after so long, and I'm so sorry for that. I really should've done something sooner, I promise I'll tell you both what happened to me later on in the day. How are you boys? Where's Wilbur and Techno? Are they here with you two?" Philza questioned with a soft and raspy voice, the two teenage boys glanced at eachother while still thinking of words to say. Since it's been way too long since the last time they had talked to Philza, it was like they had forgotten the way they used tk speak to him.

"O-oh well we are uh, no Wilbur and Techno aren't with us. We're by our own, just us both" Tommy muttered out while he turns his head to Tubbo expecting him to be the one who does all the talking, cause suddenly Tommy felt unlike himself, maybe a little more shy than usual, it was strange how quiet and short spoken he became.

"Yeah and uh, we're just...we were in this Desert just looking for, um, stuff and..." Tubbo couldn't seem to muster out what he wanted to say either, it was like his words had caught into his throat. His intentions was to tell everything to Philza, the war, L'manberg, Schlatt, every single horrifying event that happened that scared the boys deeply. But something about this, something about the way Philza's hand was so warming and gentle on their shoulder, something about Philza's concerned look at them, it reminded them of when they were just little. It was like Tommy and Tubbo had turned to their little selfs again, doesn't matter what age and how little. It was like their shield that protected their sensitivity in their chest had broken massively and all the weight they had carried seemed to disappear into dust.

Before the boys acknowledged it, tears were already falling from both of their eyes and down to the edge of their jaw. They both cried, they both sobbed while realizing how much fear they had kept and weren't able to let go, they didn't even know they could cry so much because of this. Tommy clutched his fists hard as he gritted his teeth while trying hard to hold back, but it was so, so difficult. Tubbo was already wiping his eyes and nose with his sleeve and covering his whole face with both of his palms.

"Oh come here you both, there there" Philza spread his arms wide and openly, looking so hug worthy and the boys didn't even try to hesitate for a second to wrap their arms tightly around their Father figure and feeling his embrace after so many months and years. It was nothing like they have felt before, the boys never had someone play as their parent to be there for them ever since Philza went missing, they buried their faces in Philza's shoulder and cried into them like they were ten years younger than their own age.

They never felt so overwhelmed before, they experienced so much on their own and it was here where they felt like they were home, not 'home again' they never experienced home, at least never in a long time.


	7. Remembrance

_"Wilbur! What are you doing sitting over there?" Tommy yelled out within the forest trees before he runs over towards his friend sitting on the near edge of the cliff, he seems to be enjoying the view of the radiant orange sun slowly setting down right at front. He turns his head around at the sudden shout from Tommy, he smiles softly while his curls were being blown by the soft air. He adjusted himself on the grass, he pats his hand on the spot beside him._

_"Come sit here Tommy! The view of the sun is amazing compared from our window, you should come look at it" Wilbur the sitting boy invited. Tommy rushed over and slowed his pace once he got close. He took a brief moment to look at the view from up high on the cliff and then turn his head to Wilbur, the blond bloke was a little confused why his close friend would sit on this cliff to admire the sunset since he'd thought that Wilbur would find these kinds of things 'boring'. But Tommy didn't question it too much and sat beside him with his legs crossed and his fingers fondling with themselves._

_"Are you okay?" Tommy questioned while he glued his pupils onto Wilbur, but his head still facing forwards towards the setting sun. He was a little concerned since his big brother figure looked a little down, he still had his smile though but it was less wide and big as it used to be, maybe more dull? Wilbur raised an eyebrow with a grin._

_"Uhh yeah? Of course I'm okay, why'd you ask?" Wilbur asked back, not taking his eyes off of the sky. Tommy stayed quiet for a moment as he starts to feel a little bit nervous, he was still a young child after all so he wasn't really good with saying words when he's anxious._

_"I-well y'know how you um, you don't usually like these kinds of things. I thought you hated watching things, remember that time when Philza asked us to go bird watching? You became really grumpy" Tommy giggled at the last part as he remembers that certain memory from a few months ago, Wilbur sighs with now a little force put into his smile as he didn't exactly feel the same silliness of that memory, he thought that memory wasembarrassing to him._

_"Yeah well that's birds, birds are boring and all they do is fly and lay eggs. This is the sun! It's a planet! It's way more cooler than silly birds. And besides just look at it, Tommy. The sun looks so close to us yet it's millions of miles away" Wilbur pointed out while he rests his hand against the grass, his leg resting on top of the other. Wilbur was just a fourteen year old boy, he's in that phase of life where he pretends to be dark and cool and enjoy unique things, but in reality he's just making himself look silly which everyone finds hilarious and would sometimes make fun of. Wilbur then remembers that the last time he saw Tommy was when he went out to play with another boy, now he's apparently all by himself._

_"Hey Tommy, I thought you were supposed to be with...Tubbo was it? Where's he?" Wilbur looks over at his young friend, who he truly sees as more of a little brother rather than a simple friend. Can you believe it? A fourteen year old is close to a six year old than anyone else, to Wilbur it is also an embarrassing fact of him, but he knows that Tommy means a lot to him ever since he and his other brother-like friend, Techno, found him at night time in a jungle biome all alone a few years ago which felt like just a few months, time sure does fly by like a breeze._

_"Oh him, I left him to go to this cliff with you. He probably got himself lost trying to look for me, haha that idiot" Tommy chuckled out again, immediately Wilbur had his brows furrow with worry. Tubbo is one of Tommy's friend that is close to his age, well technically Tommy's only friend that's close to his age. The two of them met a few weeks ago and they seem to get along pretty well which is good since Tommy seems to have trouble making friends cause there was no other kid close to his age anywhere here on the SMP. Wilbur isn't really that close with the Tubbo kid though, but he knows that Tubbo will be a good friend to Tommy since he is a very sweet kid._

_"Tommy you can't just leave your friend behind! Go search for him we don't want him to get hurt" Wilbur commanded like the big brother figure he is, Tommy on the other hand just groaned and tilted his head with a miserable face. It wasn't that he didn't like Tubbo, to him Tubbo is a weird kid but he often likes his company. Apparently he really likes bees which is also another reason why he is called a weirdo, but Tommy is just the type of six year old who is sort of a bad kid._

_"Ugh, do I really have to? He's a whole year older than me though, he should be smart enough" Tommy shrugged as he made an excuse, an excuse to not get up from his spot and look all over the place cause he's lazy, I mean who's surprised at this point. Wilbur only needed to give a sharp glare at Tommy and that seems to be enough to make the younger boy sweat and feel anxious._

_"Okay okay! Jeez I'll—"_

_"Tommy! There you are, don't run off like that again!" Tommy was interrupted with a loud yell from a familiar child like sound, both Wilbur and Tommy looked behind and see a dirty and exhausted kid, his brown hair was a little messy and he looked really tired._

_"Oh hey Tubbo! Knew you could find me in this game of Hide and Seek!" Tommy greeted the as if he had done nothing wrong, he walked over towards his friend and wrapped an arm around his shoulder with a laugh. Tubbo looked a little mad at the blond kid though, his lips pouting as he didn't enjoy Tommy's arm around his shoulder due to his anger for him._

_"We were...playing Hide and Seek?" Tubbo asked with a lifted eyebrow since he really had no clue what his friend was talking about. But without a clear answer, Tommy just yells out as a way to drown out Tubbo'squestion._

_"Oh you silly rascal Tubbo! Anyway me and my good ol' brother Wilbur here has been admiring the sun from this cliff, isn't the sun just so nice, Tubbo?"_

_"I almost fell down a cave!" Tubbo whined out before pushing Tommy's chest making the younger boy take a few steps back, Tommy gave him a look as if he was the guilty one here and that he didn't do anything wrong, like always. Wilbur sitting at the front only chuckled quietly at the two little kids behind him, he then had the idea that maybe Tubbo should join in watching the sun, since Tubbo is a sweet and innocent kid he would surely like this admirable view from up the cliff._

_"Tubbo why don't you join me and Tommy watching the sunset here? Doesn't it look wonderful?" Wilbur requested for Tubbo's company, which Tubbo gladly agreed on. Tubbo nodded his head frantically with a wide smile and before he knew it his hand was grabbed by Tommy, the blond boy dragged his friend towards the end of the cliff and they both sat at each of Wilbur's side._

_"Wow! It looks so pretty!" Tubbo exclaimed before scooting himself closer to the front, but Wilbur luckily puts his hand on Tubbo's chest to back him up a bit before he gets too close to the edge and easily fall off. But Tubbo's sudden excitement made Wilbur quite happy, seeing a child like Tubbo look so radiant was somehow heartwarming to say the least. Wilbur looks over towards the other side to see Tommy having the exact opposite reaction, he had his arms folded and he looked as though he was bored and disappointed._

_"I think it looks normal to me, sure it's beautiful but I don't get all the hype about it. It's just a bunch of sunlight and clouds, and you do absolutely nothing but to sit and stare at it" Tommy said with a miserable look, Wilbur on the other hand just completely ignored his little brother figure since he's always so moody all the time for no reason, he's sure that one day in the future Tommy will enjoy the sunset, maybe while sitting on a nice bench and watch it with someone by his side, who wouldn't want that? Wilbur wrapped his arms around both young boys on each side of him and held them closer._

_"Why can't you be more like Tubbo, Tommy? Tubbo is more carefree and optimistic all the time, why don't you just enjoy the little things?" Wilbur suggested while rubbing gently on Tommy's arm, meanwhile the blond boy was having none of that advice at all. He will stick onto his thoughts and his opinions only, he honestly didn't care if it was better if he should be more like Tubbo or not. Tommy stood quiet with a small grump as he didn't have anything to say, nor does he want to say anything to add up Wilbur's speech._

_"You know, it's getting quite late now. You two should be having dinner, it's way past your dinner time" Wilbur pointed out before nudging Tubbo's arm and turning his head to look at him. He sees the fellow 7 year old's eyes glisten up as the thought of delicious food popped into his mind, he let's out a small and faint gasp before he hurriedly got up and looked at his grumpy friend._

_"Tommy let's go! I'm really hungry right now, can I stop at your place to eat with Philza? Please? Philza always has the greatest food" Tubbo pleaded excitingly, while also trying to contain himself back from jumping up and down. The younger blond boy just took a big deep breath and groaned as he felt too lazy to head back so soon, especially all alone with a weird kid like Tubbo but Tommy didn't really have a choice but to accompany the weird kid. If he declined he will surely receive death glares from Wilbur, so Tommy nodded._

_"Fine, but..." Tommy paused for a moment as he figured out an idea, then a mischievous grin had appeared on his lips. He giggles to himself but in a quite manner that makes it sound as though he was humming. Tommy then stepped towards Tubbo and pushed him away before running down the cliff with a loud shout._

_"Last one there is a rotten egg!"_

_Tubbo widened his eyes before he frowns and runs after Tommy while yelling his name in annoyance, Tommy's loud and echoing kid laugh as he runs just fills up the entire SMP. I guess you could say it reminded people of a play ground, reminds you of the the sounds of little kids laughing and giggling with their uplifting smiles as they play on the slides and swings._

_Wilbur watched simply as he sees the two little boys slowly run further and further until they were seen as only a little dot, Wilbur knows that once those children have grown up way older they're going to do great things that no one could ever thought of, at least he hopes._

_Wilbur started feeling a little tired, he decided to lay his back on the healthy and green grass. Now his whole entire vision was only a sky full of blue with purple gradient, and light colored clouds that looks fluffy as ever. It was almost at the end of the afternoon and surely if Wilbur doesn't head back home he'll encounter a few mobs on the way which is bad, but Wilbur secretly kept a stone sword with him just incase, technically he stole it from Philza since he wasn't allowed to touch the weapons._

_Wilbur then heard faint footsteps hitting the grass, of course these ominous footstep noises brought him to his fight or flight senses real quick. Wilbur hurriedly sat up with panic filling his entire body as he aggressively pulls out his stone sword from his inventory and points it at the source of the sound. But when he looks behind him he didn't see a mob, in fact he sees his other brother-like friend of him, Techno. Who happens to be just standing there with a startled look due to Wilbur suddenly pulling a sharp sword at him_

_"Woah there, calm down buddy it's only me" Techno assured while holding his hands up forward as a gesture to soothe the other lad, Wilbur let's out a huge exhale of relief as the panic he held quickly fades away and his heartbeat can finally relax from beating so fast. Wilbur placed his stone sword down on the grass beside him while he lays back down on the ground, still slowly huffing._

_Techno hesitantly walked over to him until he stood right beside Wilbur, he looks down onto Wilbur's laying body with a deadpanned look while his red cape and pink locks danced with the warm wind._

_"How long have you stood there?" Wilbur asked while gently turning his head towards Techno, the pink haired boy shrugged with a small hum as he looks away from Wilbur and finally took the time to acknowledged the view._

_"Not long, I came here just as the two little ones ran off. I never knew Tommy actually liked Tubbo, I thought he hated him" Techno said without taking his squinted eyes off of the sun, Wilbur raised a brow before he sat up again and held onto his knees as he turns his head at Techno with a confused look._

_"Of course not, can't you see? He enjoys him but he doesn't want to admit it, Tommy's just that type of annoying kid. Why would you assume that anyway? I mean yeah he always makes fun of Tubbo and tease him a lot but he also does that to us as well" Wilbur shrugged with a breathy chuckle at the end of his sentence, Techno stood quiet like he didn't hear his brother figure but he heard him loud and clear. Even if Techno was still an eleven year old, he was quite smart for his age, probably smarter than Wilbur, Techno took a few steps closer towards the edge of the cliff and looked upon the land full of nothing but grass and trees._

_"Hey Techno, be careful there. You could accidentally slip and fall" Wilbur warned him with an alarmed smile, while readjusting his legs just incase if Techno was too close he could easily stand up quickly and pull him back. Techno nodded gently before sighing at the atmosphere, he locked his eyes onto a small cottage that looks like a small button from the far distance. That wooden house is where Techno and two of his friends all lived in, while also under the sweet care of a man named Philza. That wooden house sure is homey, and it was peaceful and it could get boring often but living with kids like Tommy and Wilbur it's always fun and entertaining each day._

_"Tubbo is a really unusual kid, I didn't think he was the exact type of friend Tommy would want" Techno says as he turns himself around to face Wilbur who smiled again and started to stand up._

_"But it's the kind of friend that Tommy needs, Tubbo is a good influence to him and I'm sure they'll grow close to eachother at least a little bit. And besides Tommy seems to enjoy having another young kid with him, since we're already way too old to understand his childish humor" Wilbur walked over towards Techno and patted his shoulder with his thumb gently caressing it, Techno nodded without a reply. Techno wasn't much of a talker and could often be as quiet and muted as possible, he would only talk to the ones he cared most and that is Tommy, Wilbur and Philza. He wasn't so comfortable speaking in front of Tubbo just yet but he'll get there._

_It was here when Wilbur had took notice on Techno's clothes, he realized that there were small splatters of red that camouflaged well on Techno's cape. All you need to do was look closer and focus and you'll be able to make out the blood stains, Wilbur gently grabbed onto the cape and lifted it to view the blood stains._

_"Have you been killing animals again? Look at yourself, you're so dirty and covered in blood" Wilbur scolded with furrowed eyebrows as he referred to the cape, Techno just hummed as an answer without full care if he was covered in animal blood. He enjoyed his mass murder of animals and mobs, he's usually the one that protects his family from monsters such as zombies and skeletons, even though he was still a young 11 year old he really is adventurous and brave for his age, which is the reason why Philza allows him to carry a sword than Wilbur._

_"I don't have time to clean up, don't ever judge the Blood God for his ways. Besides I need to get more food for us. By now I've gotten some steak and a few chicken" Techno took a brief moment to look at his inventory to check on the raw animals he had brutally killed without mercy, Wilbur couldn't help but blow a raspberry._

_"Blood God? Heh, whatever you say, edgelord" He laughed out at the ridiculous nickname, the pink haired boy with an unamused face only rolled his eyes away. No one can really believe that the curly haired is older than the pink, since Wilbur is the type of kid who would make mischief from time to time with a certain blonde but he will still take much accountability, Techno on the other hand wasn't a kid that is responsible nor does he show much emotions but he sure loves protecting his cared ones and murder any enemy in his path without hesitation._

_"Anyway, let's go join the little guys to eat. I bet they're snagging all the food by now" Wilbur's hand made it's way up to the top of his little brother's head and ruffled up his hair, making it turn a little messy. Techno slapped his brother's hand away from him which caused the brother to laugh once again, Techno is always some sort of dummy to people where it's fun to tease him. Wilbur began to wonder about his hair, was it born pink or has he somehow dyed it with pink dye before he met Philza? His hair hasn't been cut in awhile and it had already reached to his neck, the last time Philza wanted to cut his hair Techno threw a fit that he didn't want him to, it was odd._

As the five members all prepared themselves with armor and food, they all said their goodbyes to their home Pogtopia and old home L'manberg. They've found three horses just roaming somewhere outside of Pogtopia a few hours ago and decided to claim them as their new companions to track down their missing friends, but with the feeling of worry still lingering somewhere with them it was a little difficult to focus and make this big decision. It didn't help that a few of the members having negative thoughts in their mind and bad outcomes if they go on this search party, losing hope is the last thing they ever want to face in this adventure and it will probably be the scariest.

Seeing as though they care deeply for their friends, they must let go of their original path to take over L'manberg once again as their own just for this dumb reason. It was ridiculous but it had to be done or else they would lose two of the most important parts of this entire shenanigan, all of this, the wars, the election, L'manberg, all would mean nothing in the end without them. Everyone had already pinned their hopes on Tommy and awaits for him to make his next action and now he's run away like a coward.

"Which way are they at, Dream?" Techno asked right after he had mounted his new horse and trotted over towards the other fellow masked man, Dream stood quiet for awhile as he tried focusing on the red arrow that was moving left and right and weirdly not staying still, Dream thinks that this is probably a sign that the two boys are still walking and journeying around the map and haven't found their rest place.

"Somewhere to the east, I can tell they're still walking around the SMP. I don't believe they're that far though, we'll find them in no time" Dream said charismatically while he turns his whole body towards the east direction where the red arrow was pointing at, he sees a forest biome in the distance which he began to wonder if maybe the boys have gone through the forest biome that night. If they did they will surely leave some hoove prints from the horse they took, or maybe leaving some traces from mobs since it was midnight at the time and they must've came across some mobs while in that biome.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's fucking go now before they get far!" Quackity blurted out before he gets on top of his horse with Wilbur sitting right at the back part, he was a little unsure if Quackity should be the one steering the horse since he knows what kind of abomination of a person Quackity is, who knows maybe Quackity would go crazy and lead them and their horse to drop into a deep lake just a few minutes after.

"Quackity, you sure you don't want me to be the one sitting at the front? I don't trust you at all with the horse" Wilbur tapped on Quackity's shoulder as he spoke, meanwhile the man sitting in front of him only faked a chuckle while waving his hand back and forth.

"Oh Wilbur, you know can trust me. Have I ever told you Schlatt once gave a free horse for me to ride? I was basically Manberg's best horse rider, you wouldn't believe it" Quackity bragged on with a proud smirk, the curly sitting behind him raised an eyebrow as he was feeling a little suspicious of him.

"Yeah exactly, I don't believe it at all. You're making all of that up, I really don't trust you and just seeing you holding the bridle is already terrifying to me" Wilbur says with a more alarming voice as he sees in the corner of his eyes Quackity had already grabbed onto the bridle with both of his hands and it doesn't look like he would let go of it any time sooner.

"Wilbur I promise, okay? I promise I will be extra careful with the horse and I'll try my best not to hit anything, cross my heart and hope to die" Quackity crossed his fingers as he looks behind him at Wilbur who was still a little skeptical but he took a deep breath and surrendered. He knew very well that Quackity would crash into something within a ten mile radius under a few minutes but it doesn't seem like Quackity is going to listen to Wilbur any time soon so he had no choice but to hope and pray for the best.

"Fine, fine. Alright I trust you a little bit, but I swear to god Quackity if you act reckless while steering the fucking horse I will—"

Wilbur didn't even have a chance to finish his sentence before he was mildly interrupted with Quackity shouting at the top of his lungs.

"YEEEHAW!"

While he also hit the poor horse with the bridle, which then caused the horse to neigh loudly and briskly galloped away with a horrified Wilbur screaming curses and all sorts of forbidden words at Quackity and at the same time almost falling off the running animal, leaving the other three of the members to witness the entire chaos unfold within their eyes.

"Welp, there they go. Off to hit a tree" Techno joked with a smile as he sees the two distressed men fade away into the forest biome still shouting at each other, Niki who was sitting behind Techno on the horse just silently giggled at the ridiculous sight with a hand covering her mouth while Dream who was standing in front of their horse just stood quiet but secretly he did held a covered grin behind his white mask. He then put both his hands on top of his horse's body and pushed himself up to sit on the saddle, he gave Techno and Niki a signal that they should start their search as well, and maybe even try looking for Wilbur and Quackity just to make sure they don't get themselves hurt.

The three of them with their two horses calmly went towards the forest biome until they heard Wilbur's faint shouts in the distance which made them slightly curious on what happened, they start to head towards the source of his shouts and after trotting pass a few trees they saw them, Wilbur and Quackity.

They found those two having a heated argument, it wasn't those serious kinds of arguments but it was like sibling bickering, and the other three weren't really surprised but more disappointed than anything. This time Wilbur was sitting at the front of the horse while holding a firm grip onto the bridle, and giving death glances at his horse ride mate.

"I'm never letting you steer anything ever again" Wilbur muttered under his breath, but still loud enough for everyone to hear. Quackity only folded his arms with a big pout, even though deep inside he secretly wanted to burst out laughing at Wilbur's high pitched scream earlier, in fact Quackity was sort of bad at trying to hide his obvious urge to laugh.

"Come on you two, let's actually start searching seriously now" Niki commented with a smile as she and Techno slowly trotted pass them along with Dream and his horse on their side, Wilbur then started controlling the horse to trail behind them with a now more serene manner than a few minutes ago with Quackity.

Looks like this search party is going to be one hell of a blast, which really isn't a bad thing since these people really do need something to lit up their moods after going through their short misery earlier. Couldn't say the same for their hopes though, they don't really expect much from this search party and the chances of them finding two lost boys were average, maybe a little more slim.

All they needed to do was to find Tommy and Tubbo, and then they'd head back to Pogtopia and everything would be back to the usual, but something about this plan just doesn't sit right. What would they do once they find the two boys? They left this place because they can't handle always being in the center of disarray, but everyone needs them, they're important, so why is there this feeling of something bad that's going to happen? Like something would go wrong and there can't be anything to solve it, like a puzzle with a missing piece.

Everything was calm and just soothing, the sounds of the birds chirping from way up high in the distance near the clouds were so faint and yet it gives off a very heavy relaxing vibe to the whole environment. Even the wind wasn't so cold and is refreshing for once, this evening was beautiful and it was so harmless. You could say this would resemble as a huge garden like atmosphere, it's like a perfect place for frolicking around but some would say that is a little bit too childish to say in such a messed up world, but we all needed to look in the bright side of things and let go of the dark ones at least for a little while.

The relaxing feeling was sadly ambushed by a cold presence that can completely caught someone off guard, and unfortunately that 'someone' is none other than a short tempered Tommy. That cold feeling was liquid splashing all over the blond boy which caused him to wake up from his slumbering rest.

"What the fuck?!" Tommy flinched at the sudden coldness sliding down to the bottom of his spine, the only reply he got was a loud laugh from his friend who was sitting right in front of him. He seems to be rowing a boat that carried both of them on the middle of the wide river, he was rowing with two paddles on each of his hand.

"Oh my god, Tommy! You're all soaked!" Tubbo laughed out until he couldn't even have the strength to keep rowing the watercraft, Tommy was still half asleep and he wasn't able to process everything properly but he sure was irritated that he's now all wet with cold sea water, not only does he hear his friend making fun of him but he also hears his Father figure laughing as well from a different boat somewhere in front of them.

"What the hell...how did I get all wet? Was there like a fish or something...?" Was all that Tommy could muster out, he was still very tired and wished to go back to sleep but now he couldn't anymore since he's all freezing, once Tubbo had finally calmed down from his fit of chuckles, he began to explain to his unfortunate friend.

"There was a dolphin swimming by, they leaped out of the water and then fell back in, I guess all the water splashed onto you. Heh, sorry about that, Tommy" Tubbo couldn't help but chuckle in between his words, the only response he got from his friend was a loud and irritated groan. If Tommy wasn't so tired and sleepy he would've cursed at the dolphin and most likely jump in the river to chase after it, but right now he's a little exhausted and was really cold now too. Tommy then went back to placing his hands around Tubbo's waist and leaned his forehead on the back of Tubbo's scalp and attempted to fall asleep like before, he really needed some sort of towel or something to cover himself up since he was practically shivering.

"Aww, poor Tommy. Here Tommy you can wear my coat if you want" Philza said from his boat who was floating in front, he took off his dark green coat and passed it onto Tubbo, which then Tubbo reached out to grab and helped Tommy to cover him with the coat since Tubbo did feel a little bad for him getting poured with cold water in the middle of his sleep.

"There, all good? Are you still freezing?" Tubbo asked with a warm smile and his eyebrow lifted, Tommy was still pretty tired and all he could really do was shake his head and mumble inaudible words into Tubbo's hair, all he really wanted was more sleep than anything. As Tubbo adjusted the coat one last time to cover over Tommy's shoulders, he sighs and held onto the two paddles beside him and started rowing again, but this time he made sure that he stays away from any fish or dolphin just so that he won't disturb Tommy again since he's probably in a bad mood now.

Tubbo looks over his shoulder to see Tommy's arm wrapped around him, he smiles again knowing how fast he could sleep even if he's cold, Tubbo had always paid attention to when Tommy acted so brave, and he wouldn't hesitate to fight anything even if he knows it will kill him unlike Tubbo, Tubbo remembers how much he'd protect him from any harm for the past few years of their friendship, a long way has come from just a 7 year old and a 6 year old, there just wouldn't be a day where Tubbo doesn't feel lucky to have someone like Tommy, not even a minute.

"You know, he's a very loyal kid, Tubbo" Philza commented which made Tubbo slightly flinch due to someone suddenly speaking and interrupting his thoughts, Tubbo turn his head towards the adult man, he raised an eyebrow while tilting his head to the side as he kept rowing.

"He is? I mean, I guess I can see what you're talking about. But I don't know" Tubbo said with a shrug, still a little unsure of what the adult man could possibly mean, he took a quick glance back at Tommy.

"You really don't see it? Damn I thought it was out in the open already haha! Just look at him Tubbo. He's got himself swaddling your shoulders and holding you in his embrace, I've been his Parent role for a ton of years and I can tell he gave his full faithfulness to you more than to anyone. After that whole story you both told me about L'manberg and the elections and the festival yada yada yada, it really seems like Tommy had acted a lot more differently to you from the last time I saw him three years ago before my disappearance" Philza explained while having his head still facing the river but not at Tubbo, speaking of which Tubbo listened very closely to the adult man, he was intrigued at what he was saying and desperately wanted to know more, especially if it's about his best friend.

"I guess you could say that, protects me or not, I'm just glad the way he is. What he's doing is really kind of him I must admit but what I don't understand why he always defends me to be honest, I feel like I've never done much of anything for Tommy to make him try very hard to keep me safe, you know? Like I don't deserve it or something...and I feel bad for that" Tubbo's smile began to slowly curve into a small frown as he began to think about that topic, those words just came out of his mouth like it's been held captive. Tubbo didn't even realize how everything he had done for Tommy doesn't compare to what Tommy does for him. It made the brown haired boy feel quite terrible to be exact, like he hasn't been enough.

"Oh Tubbo don't say that sort of bullcrap, you have been the best person you could ever be to anyone especially Tommy. If you ever feel like you haven't done enough then just remember you're unique in his eyes, and in mine" Philza comforted with a fatherly smile as he turns his head around to face the brunette, the younger lad has his ears perked up.

"Really? You think I'm unique?" He said, with sudden enthusiasm appearing in his voice. And like any other man would do, Philza nodded which made Tubbo chuckle and scratch the back of his head in a bashful manner. Somehow he was pretty happy to hear those words from Philza, he's just delighted that he was seen as unique by two of his favorite people which he'll take as a good thing. Tubbo looks behind at Tommy's sleeping body that was leaned on Tubbo's back, he really didn't mind that Tommy's huge and tall body was leaning on him even if it's hurting his spine.

"By the way, Philza. How far is your house? I feel like we've been on this boat for the past hour now" Tubbo pointed out as he was a bit curious on what Philza's house would look like, he'd expect it to be something similar to a wooden hut since his old house a few years ago was something like a cottage, but who knows, years had passed and maybe his style have changed.

"We're almost there Tubbo, don't worry. Maybe just ten more minutes and we'll be there, I think you and Tommy would love the look of my house, it'll be your new home!" Philza said with a little excitement in his tone of voice, he was happy that he'll finally have some company in his lonely home for once, and better yet the company would be his old son and his old son's best friend that reunited with him.

He may not show it but Philza was very glad he had suddenly found these two young boys, even if he wasn't as emotional as they were, deep down he was downright happy to hear their voices and see their grown faces after so long, and he would love to see the rest of his children later in the near future.

"Of course I would love your house, Philza! I'm actually quite excited to see it, I bet it would look amazing. But do you have a spare room for us though?" Tubbo asked again while he now rowed the boat closer to Philza's, the older man hummed as he began to think of the rooms in his house, he doesn't really have a spare bedroom but he does have a storage room that he doesn't use anymore.

"I have this storage room filled with chests, most of them are empty so we can probably move those chests out and craft two beds for you both. How does that sound?" Philza raised an eyebrow as he looks back at Tubbo who has surprisingly gotten much more closer to him, Tubbo gives a thumbs up with a hum of approval. He was looking forward to living with Philza, it would just feel like he's living with a family, even though he does miss Pogtopia where he lived with his other friends, he needed to move on for Tommy.

Speak of the devil, Tubbo feels something moving slightly on his back, it was Tommy'shead. The blond boy appeared to have awoken up from his short nap with a small groan, he fluttered his eyes open due to him hearing the conversation between Tubbo and Philza. Tommy mumbled something that couldn't be made out before he stretched his arms in which then made him remember how cold he still was, he hurriedly covered himself with Philza's coat that has fallen from his back.

"Oh Tommy you're awake again!" Tubbo exclaimed without turning his head to face his friend, Tommy wiped his tired eyes with another groan.

"Jesus Christ, I forgot a fucking dolphin splashed water on me. By the way I'm shivering, are we close to your house yet Philza? I need to warm myself up" Tommy complained with a big frown as he looks to the side in slight shame, Philza on the other hand just chuckled and told him that they'll reach his house shortly. Tubbo was excited and couldn't wait to see his new home while Tommy only cared for getting himself dried off, although he too was a little curious what his new room would be.

"I'm going to try dipping my hand in the water, the water looks clear and beautiful. And maybe I can try catching a fish for us!" Tubbo suggested with a toothy smile, his blond friend only sighed while resting his head on his hand that just shows his disappointment, he's sometimes very miserable whenever Tubbo does something generally stupid but since Tommy is a good friend he will just let Tubbo do whatever he wants to do.

Ignoring Tommy's fed up expression, Tubbo bent over to the side of the boat to dip his entire lower arm into the river and slowly waved it around to feel the cold water, he can see a few tiny fish swimming pass his arm which made him chuckle in awe. Some of the tiny fish even swam around his arm that tickled the brown haired boy, his friend however wanted the cramped boat to move cause now no one is rowing the paddles. So with very short patience, Tommy grabbed the two paddles from in front of Tubbo and rowed the boat by himself at the back.

"Be careful Tubbo, don't accidentally flip our boat over or I swear to god I'm going to murder you once we're on land" Tommy threatened with a frown, but his deadly threat didn't have much affect at Tubbo at all since he didn't even flinch or show any sign of fear, he knows Tommy wouldn't lay a scratch on him no matter how angry he is, he'll always forgive Tubbo in the end.

"Kids, we're here! Let's park our boats just over there near the small patch of sand, my house would only be a few blocks away" Philza announced with a big smile as he started to row his boat to the side of the river near the land. Tommy who is in control of his boat now followed behind him, with Tubbo and his arm still in the river. The three of them parked their boats and stepped off onto the dirty sand that were impaled with sugar cane, they all broke their boats and put them inside their inventory and began to venture through the trees to find Philza's house.

They were walking through the forest biome which sort of reminded the young boys of the forest biome near Pogtopia, now everything seems like it reminded them of either Pogtopia or L'manberg, it still gave a sharp pain in their chest to remember those places since it holds their most terrible memories. They both had hoped to never ever step foot into that place ever again, well that is mostly Tommy who thinks of that, suddenly he just wants to forget L'manberg ever existed in the first place along with Pogtopia, even if there was nothing wrong with Pogtopia he still wished it never happened, like everything was just a bad nightmare.

"Here she is. Tommy, Tubbo, meet your new home" Philza introduced with both of his arms lifted and a big smile plastered on his face, the two boys all stopped at their tracks to view the house and it was honestly just as Tubbo expected, but it looks pretty huge and it is in fact a cottage.

Both of the boys all stared in awe with their jaws drop, they stared from the very bottom floor of the cottage and up until the tip of the wooden roof, it looked really nice and homey. It also represents their old wooden house where they used to live in when they were younger before Philza disappeared, it reminded them of their childhood, a memory phase where everything is peace and free from harm unlike the L'manberg memories. Tubbo was the first one to catch his senses and jerked his head before forming an empty smile.

"This is so cool! Holy shit!" Tubbo shouted before he quickly ran inside the cottage with full on eagerness to see what the inside is like, Tommy who's still staring from the very front of the house was at lost for words and didn't really know what to say, he was baffled that his Father figure made such a huge and warm looking cottage, it made Tommy completely forget about his previous thoughts about L'manberg.

"What the fuck, Philza you made this house? All on your own? It looks... not that bad actually" Tommy said while slowly turning his head towards Philza with a curved grin morphing into his lips, the older man was a little surprised but then chuckled bashfully since he is quiet stunned at the compliment he received from his most grumpy son.

"Thank you, Tommy. You should head inside now, I bet Tubbo is looking all around and touching everything" Philza thanked him before smiling at the thought of the carefree boy, his best friend gave a short nod before he walked over towards the front door of the cottage through the pretty tall grass that reached up until his calf with his Father figure trailing behind him. The two entered the house and in the inside Tommy looks all over his surroundings to see just a normal living room, with a few chests and furnaces in the corner and wide windows on the walls, there was nothing really special in the room but a dining table with Tubbo standing beside it just calmly spilling his admiration.

Tommy also noticed there was a staircase leading to the second floor, he walked around the house for a little bit just to take everything in. He went over towards the kitchen area in the corner of the room where there was a wooden counter and six furnaces stacked together on the other side of the counter, none of them are lit. Tommy looks inside the chests to see all sorts of raw food, and some are even cooked. In the other chests there were spare unimportant items like string, wood planks, coal and much more.

"Those chests are for useless things, and the ones at the bottom are full of food so if any of you boys are hungry then you know which one to open" Philza explained from the side, the two boys didn't reply to him nor did they even look at him since they were too focused on 'exploring' but they both understood his instructions by giving a head nod. Once those two were done looking around the first floor they all head up the creaky wooden stairs to what they assume to be where their new bedroom will be at.

On the second floor the first thing the boys see is a long hallway with a few doors on the side and two large windows at each end of the hallway, the hallway wasn't that cramped and was quite spacious actually.

"Soo, which one is the storage room where we're going to be sleeping in?" Tubbo asked as he started to walk down the hallway and touch each of the doors with the tip of his fingers while his blue orbs glanced around the area in curiosity. Philza went over to Tubbo and wrapped his arm around his shoulder to pull him close, and also guiding him through the hallway until they met up with another door that looks no different than the others, Philza grabbed onto the handle and pushed open the door to reveal a room full of chests, literally the first thing you see and walk into once you open this room are chests.

"Here's your future bedroom, this room is really spacious for a storage area so I figured I'll just turn this to a place where you sleep. But you both need to help me move all these chests out to downstairs first, alright?" Philza commanded but before he realized it, both Tommy and Tubbo have sneaked pass the older man when he was talking and had already started working together to lift up the chests behind him with anticipation for their new bedroom, it was honestly a very wholesome sight to see. Philza huffed with a proud-like smile as he sees the two boys bickering at one another attempting to cooperate.

"Tubbo you grab that side of the chest and I grab this one!" Tommy said while pointing towards the side of the wooden chest that is opposite to him, meanwhile Tubbo was struggling to pick up the chest since it was actually pretty heavy.

"Why are we picking up the heavy ones first? There's like six other smaller chests and you had to pick this one?!" Tubbo grunted as he had finally managed to hold up the chest with his trembling arms, meanwhile Tommy was able to hold his side of the chest with no problem since he's stronger than his friend, but he had to admit the chest was a bit hefty for him too.

"Oh come on Tubbo! We are Big Men! We're strong and fierce, and do you know what Big men do Tubbo?" Tommy says with full energy and charisma in his voice as he tries to cheer Tubbo on, but instead it made the brown haired boy groan.

"Oh no, what is it?" Tubbo asked cheerlessly knowing that whatever Tommy would do or say after this was going to be something horrible or either something that Tubbo wouldn't like. Then he sees Tommy trying and also struggling to lift his side of the chest higher and higher up until it's over his own sweaty head, his hands now shaking as he tries to put on a brave look as if the heaviness doesn't affect him, but it clearly does.

"BIG MEN LIFT HEAVY CHESTS! EVEN IF IT WILL KILL THEM!"

_After a few times, the small boy felt very uneasy. He was a shy little boy, and he wasn't brave enough to face anything on his own even if he was in simple situations like this one, knocking on someone's door. That bad feeling that he always experienced with rushed through his body as he began to hesitate whether or not he should just leave or keep knocking and hoping for an answer._

_But then again he wanted so badly to play with his friend, since his friend seems to be the only thing that keeps him happy. All sorts of things make him happy of course like flowers and grass and trees, but his friend was something different and he enjoyed being around his friend. The little boy knocked one last time on the wooden door and finally he got an answer, the wooden door made a click sound before it was opened by another little boy, but a much older little boy. By the doorway there stood a familiar face wearing a yellow sweater._

_"Hm? Oh hey, Tubbo. What brings you here?" The boy in the yellow sweater greeted with a warm smile as he leans on the doorway, the younger boy in front of him took a deep breath._

_"Hi Wilbur! I just wanted to um, well I wanted to ask if you...wait no, not ask but...it's uh, is Tommy here?" Tubbo stammered out as his hands were beginning to grow cold and sweaty, he really didn't like having all these horrible feelings inside him that made him nervous, Tubbo hated it whenever this feeling comes up, he calls this his 'bad feelings'._

_"Oh, Tommy? Of course he is, he lives here remember? I think he's upstairs playing with the—"_

_"Wils, who was at the door?"_

_Wilbur was cut off by another voice coming from inside the house, the sweater boy turned around and see his other brother figure standing behind him with his hands folded. Tubbo tilted to the side to look behind Wilbur and there he saw the person he was terrified of the most, the person he wished he didn't come across with during this moment. And straight away Tubbo's bad feeling worsened every minute, he gulps._

_"It's Tubbo, you know, Tommy's new friend. He came here to ask Tommy to play with him, how amazing is that?" Wilbur said with a smile as he stepped aside from the doorway, completely revealing the two boys to eachother. As if Tubbo wasn't in a terrible state already, he sure is now once he looked deep into the intimidating eyes of the pink haired boy._

_Tubbo had intended to greet him with a small hello but no words seem to come out of his mouth, instead he awkwardly stepped inside the wooden house while his head cowered down, his lips sealed shut into a curvy line. Techno with no sign of reaction in his face, simply walked closer towards the short brown haired boy with a quiet hum._

_"Yeah, yeah...I'm thankful for him. Tubbo huh? Eret wouldn't stop talking about you" Techno said quietly in his monotonous voice, the brown haired boy didn't exactly know how to react to that nor does he know if he could, he was still in mid paralyzation but in the back of his head he'd take this as a good sign._

_"Ayyyyeee! What's with all the— Tubbo? Hey again dude!" Tommy called out from the very top of the staircase, he hurriedly but also carefully walked down the stairs and went to Tubbo's side, wrapping an arm around his shoulder with a big smile that shows off his new braces that he just got. Tubbo was beyond relieved when he saw Tommy appeared, finally he can feel a little less tense than before, his shoulders slugged like he has been holding them up the entire time._

_"H-Hey Tommy! So...do you want to hangout around the forest biome like last time?" Tubbo asked with a low volume, his friend nodded before shrugging in agreement. The two boys would often hangout around the forest biome not far from the wooden house, Philza had originally did a quick check around the biome just to make sure there wasn't anything that could harm the boys like a sudden lava pit for example._

_"Alright, you two know the rules. No wandering off too far, come back before sunset and if you see mobs just run and don't try to fight...Tommy" Wilbur reminded with his index finger pointed up and his other hand on his hip, and glaring at his youngest sibling mostly because of the end part of his sentence. Tommy just rolled his eyes before grabbing onto Tubbo's hand and dragged him out of the house_

_"Okay okay whatever you say, Mr. Soot!" Tommy yelled teasingly from outside of the house before laughing like a maniac, which made the yellow sweater boy smile and shake his head as he watched the two little lads frolicking away into the trees from the doorway before carefully shutting it close._

_"Your brother is scary, Tommy" Tubbo suddenly commented with still a very nervous look plastered on his face. His words made his friend in front of him slightly confused and raised an eyebrow._

_"Are you sure you're talking about my brother-like friends? Cause neither of them are scary, they're equally stupid looking in their own way" Tommy shrugged as he looks around the trees of the forest biome, his little red sneakers walking on the fallen leaves and making a crunchy sound by each step._

_"I'm talking about the pink one, he sort of scares me sometimes" Tubbo muttered while the image of the pink haired boy popped in his mind. To Tubbo, he looks very intimidating and tough, and on top of that he loves killing things and getting blood on his clothes, while also being absolutely okay with that? Tubbo has seen him around the SMP just nonchalantly carrying a bloody stone sword with him like it was no big deal._

_"Ohh, him. Yeah well at first glance he might look frightening but to be frank with you, he's a complete weirdo and downright dumb just like Wilbur, jeez those guys make me look like the smartest in the house" Tommy shakes his head while folding his arms together, Tubbo didn't seem to believe Tommy's statement at all. They both were still looking around the forest biome and examining each tree that they passed, hoping they'd find the perfect tall one. The ground were mostly just wet grass but there were leaves scattered everywhere and even a few grasshoppers._

_"I don't know, b-but he uh, he wouldn't hurt me would he? Since I know he likes murdering stuff and all, he's never killed a person has he? Right?" Tubbo asked but his voice now started to quiver at the last part, he hears his blond friend who was walking ahead of him laugh out loud again while holding his stomach, like he had just heard a funny joke._

_"Techno!? Naah man he wouldn't hurt a person, at least I don't think so. He mostly kills animals for food and monsters at night, Techno just loves hunting for stuff and swinging that freaking sword of him around. And he's a lucky bastard too! Philza let's him hold one of his swords at a young age, Philza doesn't even let Wilbur lay a finger on one! Even if Wilbur is three years older than Tecno" Tommy complained as he stopped in his tracks, a certain tree has caught the lad's attention. He looks up to view the entire tree and it looked like a pretty decent height for him to climb._

_"Really? Philza trusts him that much with his sword? That's crazy! But speaking of him, where is Philza? I didn't see him in your house earlier" Tubbo questioned again as he stops behind Tommy, he already knows the thoughts that are running through his friend's head once he sees the way he looks at the tree. The blond gave a smirk at his brown haired pal before he placed both of his hands and his foot on the tree trunk._

_"Oh Philza is probably out mining, the old man usually comes back around sunset to make us dinner. But if he isn't then the one in control of dinner is Wilbur, and I can't tell you how much I hate whenever he cooks!" Tommy yelled out with a disgusted face as he was reminded of the last time they had let Wilbur cook raw chicken, Tommy slowly and steadily climbs up the tree with Tubbo just staring at him from the low ground._

_"The things he cook are always either burnt or still too raw! No in between! Never perfect! I could barf all day by just smelling it, who does he think he is? A master chef? And yet he still participates into cooking dinner even after many times I tell him he cooks like a constipated sea horse with his dumb apron" Tommy continued on to complain with a frown as he climbs up the tree, almost halfway there onto the first branch of the tall plant. Tubbo on the other hand just kept looking up at Tommy while hearing his protesting, since this usually happens whenever he hangsout with Tommy, he loves complaining and whining about anything._

_"To be fair he's still fourteen, he doesn't know how to cook!" Tubbo pointed out with a loud voice, just to make sure that Tommy would be able to hear from up high on the trunk. He didn't get a response from Tommy, in fact the blond boy had paused climbing just to think for awhile._

_"Okay that is true, but I thought fourteen year olds are supposed to be better than this! I thought fourteen year olds should know how to fight, and cook and mine already! Oh and hey Tubbo lookie here, I'm sitting on a tree branch! This one is actually really comfortable for me to sit down on unlike that other tree from yesterday, that one hurts my back" Tommy said while he props himself onto the tree branch and dangled his legs up and down while he looks around at the view of the world from up there, unfortunately the view wasn't exactly as pretty as he had hoped to be._

_"Aw man, the view up here is boring though" Tommy added with a small frown that used to be a big smile, Tubbo chuckled at him before he decided to lean his back onto the same tree branch with his hands cupped together behind him, his thoughts were still stuck onto the same topic as before and he couldn't seem to get it off of his head, he also hasn't identified that bad feeling he often gets, it's starting to pop up more frequently than before._

_"Hey Tommy? Have you ever seen Techno mad?" Tubbo asked again without looking up at his friend but instead at his own shoes, Tommy was a little stunned that Tubbo was still asking about Techno but he just shrugged it off._

_"Not really, he's like emotionless or something. I've never seen him mad, sad or happy at all, well usually he has this very small and short smile on him sometimes but that's just it. Why? You still scared? Hahaha!" Tommy laughed out again, his friend from the very bottom of the tree just let's out a short embarrassed chuckle since he didn't necessarily disagree, he admits he was still kind of scared._

_"Okay well I just don't want to get on his bad side, you know? What if he gets mad at me one day and- and kill me? Philza said it was very painful to die and after respawning you can still slightly feel the pain!" Tubbo exclaimed with a more worried expression, this was when the bad feeling in Tubbo's heart had came up again like last time in the wooden house, but it's not that strong yet, maybe just a tickle. Tommy didn't seem too bothered at all about it, he doesn't really care if he himself dies or respawn and whatnot, well he does care but he often tries to not think about it too much._

_"Tubbo just stop worrying! I know Techno like the back of my hand, there couldn't be a reason for him to hurt you! If he was to hurt anyone here the last person he'll think of is you I guarantee it, so calm down and I'll make sure everything would be okay! Like the Big man I am!" Tommy says proudly with an empty smile as his thumb and index finger held his chin, even if Tommy wasn't really that good at comforting people, Tubbo had no choice but to try and believe him the best he could. Even if Tubbo's bad feeling might grow stronger, he needed to force himself to be calm but it sure was difficult._

_"Thanks for that Tommy heh, but can you uh, lend me a hand with something? I have this weird thing that I feel and I just can't seem to figure it out for some reason, I-it's like I'm nervous for something even though nothing is happening? And I feel scared and I always think that something is going to go wrong? I'm don't know" Tubbo shrugged while he kicks the leaves on the ground, the bad feeling has thankfully died down a little but he can still feel a little bit of it there somewhere. Tommy looks down from the branch to view his brown haired friend while he lifted an eyebrow once again as he starts thinking of an answer._

_"Uhh, is it like...anxiety? Anxious? You're anxious?" Tommy guessed with one of his eyebrow still lifted, Tubbo's eyes have widened due to that answer, he didn't know that this is what anxiety felt like. He's heard of the term 'anxiety' before but he never really knows what it means and what it feels like to go through one, he's still a little kid after all so learning about his emotions wouldn't be too bad. Maybe all this time, his 'bad feeling' that he keeps going through almost every day has been anxiety, is it normal for it to come every so often?_

_"Anxia...anxiety, huh. This is really weird, I don't think I like anxiety, I think I get anxious whenever I see Techno though" Tubbo pouted while he scratched the bridge of his nose, and it wasn't only Techno that gives the poor boy anxiety, there's tons of other things that do, like being stared at by a lot of people or confronting strangers. Tommy didn't think much of it but hearing his friend go through that, anxiety, sort of made him feel a little empathetic._

_"If that's the case then, I'll try to get you and Techno to start getting to know eachother! Then you won't feel anxious anymore whenever you're around 'em, problem solved" Tommy suggested with a thumbs up pointed to his friend from the tall branch, he sees Tubbo covering his mouth and chuckling, even if he couldn't hear it from up above he just knows that Tubbo is laughing._

_Tommy had figured that maybe being on top of this tree all by himself isn't really that fun, he needed someone by his side, not far below him. So he turned his whole body around and then carefully held tight onto the tree trunk and slowly attempted to climb down, watching his movements closely incase he doesn't slip and take a handful of fall damage. Tubbo heard a few noises of something against wood coming from above him and that's when he noticed Tommy climbing down._

_Tubbo immediately got up from leaning on the tree and began reaching his arms out as he stares closely at Tommy's movements, he was only getting himself ready just incase Tommy somehow falls so that he can easily catch him in his arms._

_But fortunately Tommy was able to get down from the tree with no harm, once he had reached close to the grass he jumped off the tree just to make himself look more cool. Tubbo quietly sighed in relief that Tommy is okay, he placed his palm on his friend's shoulder._

_"Hey so, Tommy. I know this is weird to suddenly say but, do you promise that we will be there for eachother?" Tubbo asked with a small frown, he sees Tommy tilt his head to the side as he was unsure of what to answer with. Tommy is the kid who aren't really good with promises, usually he breaks them within just a few hours, sometimes accidentally and some on purpose._

_"Uhh I don't know Tubbo, I guess so? Well I'll try to, how's that sound?" Tommy reassured as he patted Tubbo's shoulders before he shrugged his, his brown haired friend didn't really seem pleased with that answer but before he could say anything Tommy has already walked away to explore more of the forest biome. Tubbo ran to catch up with him since he still had a few things to say, just to make himself sure._

_"How about we keep eachother safe from getting hurt?" Tubbo suggested while trying to get his friend to look at him in the eyes by slightly bending over to look at Tommy's face. Both of them still walking in the forest with no intentions of doing anything, just hoping there could be something random here that will give them ideas._

_"Shouldn't you be the one that does that to me? Since I'm younger and more weaker, right? You've gotta protect yourself all on your own buddy" Tommy remarked with a grin while he puts his fists inside his light blue pocket jeans, Tubbo wasn't really satisfied with that answer which caused him to frown and his eyebrows curving._

_"Yeah well I know that but, I'm still new here to the SMP so I don't know much. You're the only friend I have here, Tommy" Tubbo said while now turning his head away from Tommy, feeling a little bit dejected but he had to hide it since it's quite embarrassing to him, although he can't help but change his entire overlook to something more desolate._

_"That's nice to hear Tubbo, buuut I'm not the kind of person who is all 'I'll save you!' like a knight and all that, if someone is in danger then it's their problem not mine, and if I'm in danger it is also my own problem, I'm a very strong man but I don't know, too lazy to save other people I guess" Tommy explained while making hand gestures, his friend didn't really know how to react to that, I guess he should've seen that answer coming. But even if Tommy is acting selfish, Tubbo will still stay by his side and keep him from any trouble, even if he wouldn't do the same for him it doesn't matter._

_"Can you at least be there if Techno gets me anxious, please?" Tubbo asked again, with more plead in his voice. He only wanted someone to comfort him whenever he feels these bad feelings that are still confusing for him to manage. And to his eyes it seems like Tommy is the only one he had his full trust on, he's the only kid who Tubbo is comfortable with the most out of the others, Tommy let's out a short groan._

_"Fine fine, since you asked so nicely. But I think that would be a pretty easy task since Techno is a nice guy, he won't hurt you Tubbo, if he 'somehow' does then saving you would be easy peasy!"_

It wasn't so easy.


	8. Troubled Night

While the uplifting sun began to grow darker with orange, the clouds has changed it's beautiful clear colors of white with lilac purple as it paints the entire sky along with it. The wind has warmed up the earth with it's embrace rushing through the grass and leaves of trees, making hustling noises that distracted a certain fellow's attention.

Tommy leans his arm and other elbow on the windowsill and resting his chin on his palm while he glued his blue pupils onto the waving small tree branches that are pummeled with leaves. He hears the echoes of his friend, Tubbo, laughing downstairs about something, he's probably talking to Philza at the moment. Those noises are like music to Tommy's ears, because Tommy is glad that Tubbo is having a good time here in the cottage already since that is the most important thing he needed to make sure of, that Tubbo is happy.

The empty storage area was actually a lot more spacious than Tommy had thought it would be, now that all the chests have been moved it seems like this would be the perfect room for two separate beds. Although there were still dust scattered everywhere around the room and it would often make Tommy's nose tickle, the blond boy wonders if his friend had already crafted beds like he'd been ordered to since it's been a while now.

"I'm here with our beds! Hey, what have you been looking at all this time? You've been sitting there for the past hour now just being oddly quiet, which is very unlike you" Tommy hears a door burst open and then the voice of his friend coming from behind him, he didn't even noticed he had come upstairs since he didn't hear the sounds of footsteps but it doesn't matter.

"I've just been thinking about something lately, Tubbo. But it's nothing important, anyway you've got the beds? Well place them down then, Idiot" Tommy smiled with a very short chuckle that sounds more like a soft huff as he got up from leaning. Tubbo got into his inventory and pulled out two beds with the usual white sheets and blankets.

"Okay so, which part of the room do you want? I reckon you'd want to be near the door" Tubbo says before placing down a bed near the door of the room, Tommy nodded with his arms now folded together in front of his puffed out chest.

"Well I reckon that you are correct Tubbo, I'd want to sleep near the door so that if we are ever invaded by monsters I can leave the room first and fight them off!" Tommy said proudly before quickly plopping himself onto the bed and laid his back onto the mattress, since his back has been hurting and he also really needed a comfortable spot to rest on. The bed felt a lot more comfortable for some reason, even if all beds are crafted the same, this right now felt so relaxing to Tommy.

"What are the chances of us getting invaded by monsters? They can't open doors you know?" Tubbo grinned with an eyebrow lifted as he placed down his bed near the window that Tommy had originally leaned on, he laid down on the bed in a similar position like Tommy but more carefully. The two of them stare at the wooden ceiling on their new beds with their hands resting on their stomach in silence for a few minutes, as if they had just took in the reality that this will be their new home, new sleeping place, new environment.

"This room is a little bit plain and...empty. There's nothing interesting about it. Should we decorate?" Tubbo suggested once he noticed the rest of the room had nothing but two beds, he smiles to himself while his head stood still facing the roof, as he also dangles his lower part of his leg up and down at the edge of the bed. Tommy let's out a huge sigh that sounded more like an exhale, he slowly grins.

"Maybe later, for now we should probably head to dinner, I'm hungry as hell" Tommy said as he finally took notice onto the quiet growls in his stomach, he hopes that Philza had already started cooking something downstairs. But Tommy also wanted to keep staying on his comfortable bed, his back was really beginning to hurt after not leaning on any backrest for a while. Tubbo nodded shortly with a muted answer, he wasn't as hungry as Tommy was but he did need some food, but he mostly wanted some rest and maybe sleep early this evening, since today has been a real unique one.

"You go ahead first, I'll stay here a little longer" Tubbo finally spoke up after some silence, Tommy without saying another word just sat up from his bed and stretched his arms out to the air while shutting his eyes. He then looks over at his friend who was only laying down on his bed with an empty expression, like he was in some sort of deep trance, Tommy wonders what he could be thinking in that small brain of his, maybe bees or yellow cows, who knows. Quietly, Tommy got up from his bed and left the room leaving the bedroom door slightly opened, he stood in the middle of the hallway.

Only standing there, not moving, not walking, just taking a few deep breaths with his palm touching the wooden wall, still going through the realization that he'll be waking up to wooden planks rather than the usual hard stone he had to sleep on. Sleeping underground inside Pogtopia was always very restless, there was never a single night where Tommy didn't have to move around the floor to find a comfortable position so that he could sleep, and in the morning he would wake up to back pains too which is unfortunate, but he didn't really care much since there's all sorts of other important things to pay attention about during that time.

The blond boy was deep in his mind when he snapped out due to him suddenly noticing faint humming, he looks around the hallway in confusion of the sound source. It sounded so familiar to someone, although Tommy knew it was probably Philza who is humming, he still somehow thought it was someone else's. Like a mixture of Philza and someone different, like the humming belonged to two different people.

Tommy with his curiosity went down the stairs and in the middle he stopped to look over onto the corner of the room to see the green hat man in the kitchen just standing by the furnaces, and just as Tommy expected, he was humming. Tommy could've sworn it sounded like someone else, but at the same time it sounded like Philza also. Tommy walked the rest of the steps down and went towards Philza, he stood beside him and saw that he was stirring on a bowl.

"I hope you boys don't mind stew for dinner" Philza said with a short smile, he then continued on humming a tune. Tommy sighs and folded his arms together while he watches.

"No not at all. Oh by the way, when you're humming you sound very similar to Techno, did you know that?" Tommy told, he lifted an eyebrow as he looks up from the bowl and onto Philza's face which is also the same time Philza had stopped humming and turned his head towards his son, his smile growing.

"Do I? Man, his voice must've gotten deeper then. Did he hit puberty twice or something?" Philza joked before placing down the bowl on top of the lit furnace and walked away from Tommy, he heads towards a chest and began to rummage through it to find some ingredients. Tommy chuckles as he views his Father figure from the side.

"You'd be surprised, he's probably got a deeper voice than you, Phil. He's really grown a lot, I can tell you'd be proud of him" Tommy secretly smiles while cowering his head down, those words made Philza confused as he turns his whole body back around to face the blond boy.

"I thought you don't like him at the moment, especially after the Festival incident" Philza tilted his head with a few mushrooms he's holding in his hands. Tommy hid his smile away once Philza reminded him that sickening memory, the only two emotions of grief and hatred that Tommy felt during that Festival had came back to him like a boomerang.

"Dear god please, don't remind me of that ever again. But anyway, yeah even if what he did really got on my nerves, I still think that you'd be proud of him, aside from the Festival thing" Tommy shrugged while looking to the side, not knowing what else he had to say about Techno, his only intentions was just to tell Philza that he sounded like him but Tommy didn't think he'll go this far into the conversation, it's sort of embarrassing to him.

"Well I'm sure I would, got anything more to add before we have dinner?" Philza smiled as he started cutting the mushrooms on the wooden counter, Tommy darted his eyes left and right as he quietly ponders.

"No, I think that's all. I'll go call Tubbo over" Tommy shakes his head before walking away from the kitchen and went back up to stairs to get his friend for dinner. Philza who remained still in the kitchen only wonder about Tommy's words, as if earlier he hadn't started thinking about his sons a lot well he does now. He started wondering if Wilbur or Techno still think about him 'til this day, or have they completely forgot about him and moved on? Philza's scariest thought is them being angry at him for disappearing, and what if they won't forgive him, the least he wanted was for them to think it's their own fault he had vanished.

After a while the sky had turned a much more darker purple than before. Once Philza was done with making the mushroom stews, he hears behind him that the two young folks have already sat near the table just talking and laughing with eachother about whatever silly things they could be discussing.

It was a weird feeling for Philza knowing that someone, no not only one person, but two, are living with him. Finally some company after years of being all by himself, he had never would thought of a day where he'd actually meet his close friends and family again, today was a miracle.

"Alright I've got our dinner ready! Here you go you hungry rascals" Philza chuckled as he brought three bowl of stew with him, the two boys basically flung their head towards his direction while licking their lips as they gaze upon the stew. It's been a long while since they've tasted Philza's cooking so the two of them were pretty excited to taste it again, maybe it would taste just as good as before or even better.

"It smells so good! I can already tell I'll ask for a second bowl" Tubbo said while wiping his hands together with a big smile, Tommy who sat across from him only snorted without saying a word, he just simply muttered an 'Alright Tubbo' under his breath before he decided to smell the warm stew. He's got to admit it does smell really good, now he doesn't really blame Tubbo for having such an ecstatic reaction.

He then cups the bowl of soup with his two palms and gently lifts it up until the edge of the bowl meets with his lips, he was supposed to take just a few sips first but once he tasted the warm sweetness on his tongue he couldn't stop gulping it down.

"Oh my days Philza, this is actually really appetizing!" Tommy says after drinking the stew, almost completely finishing the whole thing under a few minutes. His compliment brought a smile in between Philza's thin beard.

"Well duh of course it's good, what do you expect Tommy? You thought it'll taste shit like Wilbur's?" Philza commented which he probably shouldn't have done since Tommy was in the middle of drinking the stew, Tommy couldn't help but laugh and his stew came flying everywhere out of his mouth, some even splattered onto Tubbo which caused the unfortunate boy to scrunch his nose in disgust.

"Ugh, Tommy! You got stew all over the table, gross" Tubbo stuck his tongue out of his hanging mouth as he backed away his chair from the table, instead of Philza scolding the blond boy he just laughed along with him. Tommy quickly wiped his mouth with his arm and also the entire wooden table with a nearby cloth as he apologizes in between chuckles.

"Oh Philza you're still the same Big Man I knew!" Tommy laughed out again while slapping a hand onto Philza's back, Tubbo was still pretty sad that his clothes are covered in stew that even came from his friend's mouth, he'll probably just ask Philza if he had any spare clothes on him later on before bed time.

The three men continued on their delicious dinner full of smiles and stories, it was a nice dinner I've got to say, it was a little more empty than the boys usual dinner in Pogtopia with the others but this dinner has something different to it. They've reunited with a person they thought they've lost forever and being with them again and talking with them is really pleasant. Tubbo then had just remembered the question he's been dying to ask Philza and the answer he's been craving to hear, as he had just finished all his stew he glanced his pupils back and forth from Tommy and Philza and then cleared his throat for their attention.

"Hey uh, Phil. You still haven't told us the whole story about your disappearance, and what happened after you died, and how you're here" Tubbo said quietly, not wanting to tore down the cheerful mood by bringing up a touchy subject. Tommy widened his eyes slightly since he has completely forgotten the main topic at hand, he looks back at Philza while waiting for an answer from him, both boys stare with anxious looks and while also leaning closer to the older man.

Philza's smile grew dim and then morphed to a small frown as his pupils looked at his hands on the table, he became somehow nervous with telling this story and he doesn't really know why, this was the first time he'd ever actually tell another person his most traumatic experience.

"Oh, well I...okay okay I'll tell you both everything of what happened" He began with a deep breath, he then sees Tubbo scooting his chair closer to him with curiosity emitting from his stare.

"Three years ago, I was fighting some mobs somewhere outside of our old wooden house. It wasn't that far away, pretty sure it was somewhere in the Forest biome where you both loved to play around in" Philza said with an eyebrow raised at the end, the boys glanced at eachother before nodding, now just recollecting that memory of the Forest biome.

"It was already dark out and I thought that you, Wilbur and Techno were asleep in the house. So I was just fighting some mobs and I was getting really low on health, and I just noticed that I ran out of food in my inventory. I was...bruised up pretty bad, I can still remember there were at least a creeper everywhere I turn and there were so many arrows until I just couldn't dodge them all. That was when I saw you three running towards me" Philza looked over at Tommy with a glum look, the blond boy folded his arms and sunk back into his wooden chair as he now knows the rest of the story from here, not really in the mood to listen to it though knowing it's one of his traumatic ones.

"I heard Wilbur call out my name and came over to help me, my vision was blurry at the time but I swore I saw Techno fighting all the mobs behind me with my enchanted diamond sword I left in the house. Heh, I didn't even allow that bastard touch my diamond sword that time" Philza let's out a nervous chuckle, he looks up back at Tommy and he still looked really miserable in his chair, now he doesn't even have his eyes on Philza anymore but now down onto the plank floor, with a frown on his face.

"And Tommy, man I remember how small he was at that time. He came over to help me with Wilbur, but he still had no idea what to do to help. Wilbur gave me some food to let me heal but I couldn't see him, everything was turning very blurry and I almost lost all my vision, everything was so painful and I just wanted to die already and spawn back on my comfy bed. After a short while I did end up dying, I was just relieved that all the pain had left. But...instead of feeling the sheets of my bed I instead felt leaves, and grass" Tubbo and Tommy then perked up like their names had just been suddenly yelled out, they looked confused.

"I opened my eyes to be met with the green grass, so I stood up and looked around. I knew instantly I'm in a Jungle biome and I remember how terrified and confused I was, I kept calling your names hoping that someone answers but all I heard were my echoes yelling back at me. I tried finding my way back but the surroundings were nothing that I remembered, so I was completely lost, I tried looking for you all for many months, believe me I tried my hardest to do anything I could to find my way back but nothing worked" Philza said with a sigh, his voice growing more quiet as he spoke. Tubbo had his eyebrows narrowed upwards and his eyes half lidded, Tommy had his head turned away so it was difficult to see his entire face but they all knew whatever expression he has it definitely wouldn't look so happy.

"Everything and everyone in the Dream SMP went downhill after you were gone, they've become more careful with dying afraid the same fate will happen to them. Especially me, Wilbur and Techno, the three of us were clueless on what to do without you" Tommy added, still refusing to look at the people sitting with them. He's just a little sulky with being reminded of that horrible moment in his past. Hearing that news made Philza just feel more terrible, he would never in his life leave his boys, and if he had found a single way or a chance to reunite with them he definitely would take it within a heartbeat.

"Techno's sleep schedule got fucked up since he spends a shit ton of sleepless nights to come looking for you everywhere, Wilbur was now the one taking care of us but he had a pretty hard time with it since he was always devastated all the time, and—"

"And Tommy started developing some major anger issues and would push everyone away"

"Tubbo!" Tommy shouted as he whipped his head towards his friend who only looked at him innocently, even if what Tubbo said was true Tommy still felt really embarrassed about it and he didn't want anyone to mention that period ever again.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Tommy, both of you" Philza apologized while rubbing his hands on both of the boys' upper arms, he felt really guilty to have given his boys such a rough time back then, he wished that he could've done something more and maybe, just maybe he would be able to find them much earlier.

The rest of the dinner was mostly quiet, only a few short conversations between Tubbo and Philza mostly about other topics that doesn't revolve around the disappearance, just to lighten up the mood a bit. Tommy didn't talk much after that but it wasn't like he needed to anyways so why bother, Tubbo was giving some glances at Tommy from time to time while talking with Philza but he couldn't help his worrisome so he needed to check if Tommy's okay, clearly he looked miserable and out of the blue. Dinner was finished and Philza had told the two boys to go to bed early as he sat up from his chair, he didn't want the two to be staying up so late and being unhealthy but who knows what these kids will do. Tommy went upstairs into his room immediately after while still muted, but Tubbo stayed behind awkwardly.

"Tubbo? You need anything?" Philza asked as he had notice Tubbo hadn't moved a muscle, the older man walked into the kitchen and started putting away the dirty bowls into a chest. Tubbo scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle, he wanted to ask Philza for something but he's afraid it might come off as weird.

"Phil do you happen to have spare clothes by chance would fit me? Mine got dirty after Tommy blew his stew earlier" Tubbo asked shyly, hoping he doesn't somehow burden the older man with his request. Philza smiles as he started looking at the wall in front of him while thinking of an answer, he used to make some clothes for himself around last year and he's pretty sure he still has some in a chest somewhere around.

"I have this green button up shirt that looks similar to your old one, when I was making that piece of clothing it sort of reminded me of you whenever I wore it, I don't wear it anymore since it's too small for me. Let me go find it real quick" Philza said before he left the kitchen corner to walk towards a chest somewhere on the other side of the room, Tubbo stood quiet as he thought of what Philza said, it kind of made him happy knowing that.

"All I needed to do was get some leather and green dye, it was a real pain in the ass to stitch them all together but the result wasn't as bad as I had thought it would be. Oh here it is!" While in the middle of his explanation, Philza was rummaging his arm inside a chest and then he had felt something soft brushed against the back of his arm, he looks down and sees that it's the green shirt he'd been trying to find, it was buried deep at the very bottom of the chest indicating that it's been placed in that chest for a long while.

The man pulls out the green shirt and dusted it off a little and viewed the entire thing by pinching the top of the short sleeves with each of his hand, he blows onto the shirt just to clear all the dirt completely. Tubbo doesn't really mind if the shirt is covered in dust, he just wanted an unstained piece if clothing. Tubbo examines the shirt from back at the dinner table and to him it does look pretty similar to his old green shirt that he had lost back in the Dream SMP territory, come to think of it he doesn't really have a clue where he last put it after changing himself to the blue L'manberg suit.

"Here you go, try it on" Philza told as he placed down the green shirt on top of the table right in front of the younger boy. He picks up the shirt and it feels rather comfortable so he was pretty excited to wear it, the buttons were a darker shade of green when his old one used to be black, but he doesn't really care, he still likes having buttons on his shirts.

"Where did you get that suit anyways? It looks really dapper if you ask me, want me to wash it?" Philza asked while he points to the black suit Tubbo was currently wearing, the brown haired boy chuckles nervously to answer.

"Oh well this is uh, it's the suit Schlatt told me to wear at the Festival. 'M not really looking forward to wearing it again, since it holds pretty upsetting memories, I don't think Tommy would like it too if I keep wearing it" Tubbo says with a sad smile, this is also another reason why he wanted to change his clothes quickly since it does sometimes remind him of when he was trapped in that damn yellow cube and then being brutally murdered with eye straining fireworks.

"O-oh, well I...sorry about that, I forgot. Do you still want to keep it after you change or should I throw it away?" Philza questioned while leaning his palm against the table, Tubbo stammers for a moment to think of his decision.

"Well, I don't really care what you do with it Philza. Burn it, throw it away, or something, but I don't think I'll be wearing it again any time sooner" Tubbo shrugged while holding the green clothing close to his chest, Philza nodded in return of his answer with still a soft smile plastered on his face. After that Tubbo got up from his chair and head upstairs to a private room somewhere beside the bedroom door for him to change his outfit, he went inside the room which is surprisingly another storage area but it was a lot less spacious than his new room.

There were chests placed in every wall, making it a little claustrophobic for the brunette but he didn't mind it that much. He decided to keep the black trousers on him since Philza only gave a shirt and not new pairs of pants, once Tubbo puts on the green shirt it wasn't as loose as he had thought it would be, it fits perfectly well. The other thing he noticed while wearing the shirt was the smell of it. It doesn't smell bad, it doesn't reek, it smells quite nice actually, it wasn't the smell of flowers or the smell of cookies fresh out of the oven, it just has a pleasant scent to it despite how it's been tucked away in a chest for god knows how many months. The fabric was also pretty soft, it wasn't as soft as Tubbo's old one but this could manage, the sleeves were a lot longer though and it even reached to the end of his elbows. Safe to say Tubbo was quiet satisfied with it and he'd love to wear it more often.

Tubbo folded the black suit top into a small rectangular shape, he then left the small suffocating storage area to be met with Tommy in the hallway just on his way leaving the bedroom, the sudden shock of his figure standing there made the brown haired boy yelp and flinch.

"Oh hey Tommy, you scared me there for a second there. What's up?" Tubbo asked while chuckling nervously due to his shock, the blond boy only rubbed one of his eyes while he lowers his head down, Tubbo wonders how tired he looks, even though he has already slept for quite a long time during the boat ride he still somehow acts tired.

"Nothing, just wanted to get a little snack downstairs. Stew wasn't enough dinner for me I guess" Tommy shrugged as he then puts his hand that was originally rubbing his eye to hold his hip, he noticed how Tubbo wasn't wearing his suit anymore which made him slightly thankful that he had quickly took it off. Tommy looks at him from head to toe.

"Did you bring your old shirt with you or something?" Tommy asked as he still examines the green clothing his friend has on him, it looks awfully a lot like his old one and Tommy couldn't really tell how this isn't actually the old green shirt, it's so much alike.

"Oh no no, this is Philza's. He has a shirt that looks like my old one, it doesn't have that much of a difference does it? The scent is really good by the way, is this what Philza smells like?" Tubbo says before grabbing the collar and brought it up near his nose and took a deep breath in it. His actions made his blond friend raise an eyebrow as he now began to question how he ended up being Tubbo's friend in the first place, but Tommy only ignored it.

"Uh, right, anyway I already added some wooden slabs in our room so it's more interesting now. You can continue to decorate it if you want to" Tommy says while pointing his thumb back towards the bedroom door, his friend nodded however he doesn't really have anything on him that he could use to ornament the room but he'll try to think of something.

As Tommy was about to head to the staircase, Tubbo had remembered he wanted to ask him about something, it wasn't anything important it was just so he could make sure that his friend is feels okay. Even if he knew that Tommy's answer would be dull and wouldn't explain anything he still wanted to try at least.

"Tommy wait, are you feeling alright? You barely talked at all during dinner and I just wanted to check if you're fine" Tubbo grabbed onto Tommy's arm before he could go any further away, Tommy looked over his own shoulder at the brunette and only forced a chuckle out of him.

"Yes Tubbo, I'm fine you don't need to worry so much, Jesus. You're so paranoid all the time" Tommy says before he gave Tubbo one last smile of assurance and left him alone in the empty hallway, Tubbo was still unsure about that reply, even if it was better to trust his best friend rather than overthinking and being annoying Tubbo just couldn't get this horrible gut feeling away.

With a defeated sigh, Tubbo walks away from the staircase and went to the doorframe of his bedroom. He hears the creeks of Tommy's footsteps on the wooden stairs grow faint the more distance it got, once he couldn't hear the footsteps anymore he enters the bedroom and viewed the area to see the wooden slabs that Tommy had place on each side of their beds, making it seem like bedside tables. Tubbo let's himself fall onto the mattress causing him to bounce as he lands, the sheets were felt so fresh and cold, Tubbo could just nudge his face into the mattress all day.

The brown haired boy was excited to spend his first night here, maybe it would have a different effect to it than sleeping in Pogtopia. Tomorrow he would plan on going hunting for some animals to cook and maybe mine some ores for armor, speaking of which Tubbo started to think of the netherite helmet Tommy had gave him while they were still at L'manberg. The helmet was kept safe in Tubbo's inventory and he didn't want to break the helmet quickly since it's the only 'powerful' piece of armor he has with him.

Tubbo lays on his stomach and pulls out the head piece and held it in his hands, his thumb rubbing slowly on the armor. He smiles shortly before placing down the head piece on the wooden slab beside his bed, he had decided he should probably just sleep early for tonight since he hasn't gotten any unlike Tommy did. Tubbo covered himself with the blanket and closed his eyes while hugging his pillow close to his cheek.

"It's getting pretty dark now, we should take a small break here" Wilbur pointed out as he lifts his head up to view the bright stars. He carried some weight on his shoulder and that weight just so happened to be Quackity's head sleeping soundly on him, Wilbur doesn't really mind him sleeping on his shoulder but as long as he doesn't drool then everything would be fine. Wilbur looks behind him to see his three other companions and they all glanced at eachother before nodding their head in agreement, since they are pretty tired too.

"Damn it, I thought we'd find those two in an hour or so, didn't think it will take us this long" Dream cursed under his breath, he looks at his compass again and the red arrow was still pointing forward and not changing it's direction for a while now. Techno who was on a different horse than him placed his palm on Dream's shoulder which caused the green hoodie man to look at him.

"Hey, it's fine. Don't think about it too much, they're smarter than other people think. We'll find them eventually" He reassured with his usual deep monotone-ish voice, Dream sighed as he felt a slim of embarrassment knowing how confident he was in the beginning that he'll find the boys quickly only to end up searching for hours upon hours. But Dream did appreciate the comfort from Techno, which he better appreciate since Techno rarely comforts people that often.

Everyone had got off from their horses and started on working together making their small little camping place, Wilbur had to wake Quackity up which took almost half of the hour and those two with Dream had teamed up to find items to craft beds. While Techno and Niki stayed behind to get some wood and make a small fire place so mobs wouldn't spawn and maybe even keep an eye on the horses.

They were currently in a forest biome, it wasn't the same forest biome that was near Pogtopia, this one is a different one which means that there are unidentified territory that they haven't seen before. There were so many trees in every direction like any other forest biome, but just by a few steps forward into the dark and you'll be a lost man within the leaves. Niki had already gathered some wood from nearby trees and has succeeded in making a fire from rubbing two sticks together, she makes one last check to see if Techno is still close to her since she's afraid of him getting lost.

She sees that Techno was just axing down a tree behind her, Niki turns her head back to the front and decided to sit down on the grass near the fire to warm herself up, cuddling her knees up to her chest. She lowers her head down as she began to wander around in her mind full of thoughts and inner voices that never seems to quiet down, a few of her hair strands fall in front of her face. The only sound that can be heard was the crackling noise from the fire burning on the wooden logs and the sound of Techno's axe hitting a tree.

Once Techno had already gotten all the wood he needed, he huffs for awhile from being pretty out of breath. He looks up to see Niki sitting by herself near the fire and she doesn't look so happy at the moment which made the pig masked man worry a little, but only a little, still mostly not care but he can tell that he needed to confront her sooner or later.

"Why'd you let them go, Techno?" Niki suddenly spoke, locking her eyes onto the burning flame in front of her that reflected onto her pupils. Techno hitched his breath as he didn't want to have this kind of conversation, anything but this one, especially with someone like Niki.

"I'm not angry, I just...you haven't really explained much on why you just stood there, you were the last person here to ever see them and you did nothing. So why?" Niki tilted her head slightly, she knows that Techno could hear her and she doesn't even have to check and look behind. The pig masked man was silent for a brief moment as he thought of the correct words to answer, he then slowly walked over towards the sitting girl and crouched a few feet beside her, both now staring deeply into the piercing fire.

"Niki, you need to know that what I did that night wasn't just an unreasonable move, I didn't nonchalantly stood still, I wasn't paralyzed, I didn't do anything because that was a decision that I thought of and chose. Believe it or not, I was surprised too when I found out they were running away, at first I wanted to interfere but I started thinking about it. And that was when I made my decision to let them go, let them be free" Techno explained as he placed down his diamond axe beside him, this time Niki turned her head slowly to face the pig masked man, still not understanding the answer.

"I just- Okay, think about it Niki. You know how they're young, they're still young teenagers who has nothing better to do, do you really think that people who are at their age ready to be in wars? They've been fighting for freedom for months now and who knows how long this will go on for, maybe years. They don't have enough time to be kids if all the activities they do is struggling to survive from the many people wanting to kill them, and what if these moments of chaos affects their mental health. Their time is over, enough, they deserved this, that's why I let them go" Techno said firmly, a sudden pain in his chest lingers around him as he finishes, it reminded him of that same feeling when he viewed the two boys slowly trotting away from the SMP that night.

Niki widens her eyes slightly at the response, she never really put a thought to that and she feels terrible for not paying enough attention to Tommy or Tubbo, she had thought she has been the greatest and dearest friend to them but she never really took a moment to think of their mental health. She stares at Techno with eyes that are filled with pity, she was speechless, she didn't know what to say since it's all covered by her guilt.

"I never knew you had that side of you, I thought that all you wanted is chaos and you didn't care for anything else, what's with the change?" Niki's words just slipped out of her mouth without her realizing what she said, she was thinking of something opposite of what she had spoke, like her mouth had a mind of its own. But then again she was pretty curious of the answer, she sees Techno letting his head gently fall to face the grass beneath him before taking a quiet deep breath and exhaled, and with that Niki knew his answer.

"It's cause Tommy is your brother, is it?" The girl muttered, her voice turned much quieter once she had figured it out. The pink haired man was only keeping himself muted, but the younger girl sitting beside him didn't need another word from the masked man, she already knew everything like it all had clicked together in her mind.

Both of them then heard rustling noises coming from the distance and their first instincts was that they were mobs, once they lifted their head up to see it was actually the three other members of the search party, looks like they have returned with the beds that they have already crafted. The three of them seems to be laughing and smiling about some jokes that they had made along the way that no one else could probably hear about anymore, they were oblivious to the situation near the campfire and had no idea on the conversation the Blood God had with the female warrior, but no one else needs to know, it's like a secret, and Niki will keep it like a secret.

Cold sweat ran down his back while he maneuvers around his bed, suddenly feeling uncomfortable in every single spot and position he could think of. It was like the blanket that is covering him have turned to rough silk and the sheets were an itchy fabric, he felt like he was burning because of how hot the room was, he tried fanning himself so he could get back to sleep but he really couldn't take it any longer. With a pit of anger in his stomach he quickly opened his eyes and sat up from his bed while huffing, Tommy looked around the room and to his surprise it was empty.

The wooden slabs he placed earlier was gone, and most importantly his friend Tubbo was gone too along with his own bed, Tommy was alone in the empty room with nothing but his bed he's sitting on. It confused him, it made him wonder if he had somehow forgot something that might've happened last night that caused his bedroom to look so empty.

"Tubbo?" He called out to his friend, he then looks over at the window at the end of the room and all he sees was a bright light shining through it, almost filling the entire vision of the window with bright yellow light, and if you stare at it for long enough it would blind you. Is it already that late in the morning? Tommy thought to himself. He calls out the name of his friend one last time but with higher volume, and again no response whatsoever. The blond boy finally got up from his bed mercilessly causing his blanket to fall to the floor, he left the bedroom and poked his head out to the hallways ad looked left to right, it feels much more empty than usual.

"Tubbo?" He shouted out in the hallway, making a small echo of his voice calling back to him within the walls. Tommy tries his best to hear closely for any footsteps on the creaky wood but there was nothing, like everything was a complete dead silence. There were no sounds of lit furnaces or birds chirping on the other side of the windows or trees rustling together, it was a complete silence and the only thing that can be heard were Tommy's faint breaths and voice. The boy walks down the stairs carefully as he had gotten a little suspicious of his surroundings, he reaches downstairs and he doesn't see Philza standing anywhere, he couldn't even look out through the windows since they were still blinded by light.

"Phil, where are you Old man?" Tommy couldn't help but get his sword out from his inventory as he has now felt very alarmed and anxious with the quietness, there were a lot less furniture around the house than he last remembered which is very odd. Tommy gulps as he slowly but surely steps closer to the front door of the house, not knowing what he expected to see outside, he could only hope that the two people he's living with are okay and safe, the least he could ever want was to see them in harm.

Tommy went up to the front door and gripped onto the knob of the door with one hand and the other gripping tightly on his diamond sword, he turns the door knob causing it to make a clicking sound and with that he slowly pushes the front door open. He was then ambushed by the bright yellow light outside of the house that was piercing through the windows, Tommy covered his eyes with his arm to protect his eyesight from being damaged. He then decided to try and look around and so he did by lowering his hand and fluttered his eyes open to see the view. To his dismay, it wasn't what he had expected to see.

He's in Manberg, all he sees outside are the familiar towers and buildings that were located in Manberg. Tommy widened his eyes as his mouth hung open, feeling like something had stabbed him in the chest, he slowly turns himself around to look at the entire surroundings and he's in Manberg, Philza's house happened to be in the center right in front of the podium for speeches. Tommy backed away slowly knowing nothing of what to do and how to feel, he was scared, he was absolutely frightened.

"Why the fuck am I here again?" He whispers to himself, with one last deep breath his fight or flight senses had kicked in and he decided to run away from Philza's house and through Manberg to try and find an exit to escape this place that holds his biggest nightmares. As he ran as fast as he could he calls out the names of the ones he trusts the most, still gripping that slight of hope between his fingers that one of them would yell back at him.

"Tubbo?! Philza?!"

Manberg was empty, no one was around, he doesn't see the wicked President anywhere nor does he see any of his minions but that doesn't matter to him at the moment, Tommy wasn't scared of the people but he's scared of the memories here and the chances of those memories happening again and again. He thought that he's already far far away from the Dream SMP so how did he end up here, he's made extra sure he was miles away so how is he here? Those were the only thoughts that danced around the blond's little mind of his.

And no matter how much he ran to a certain direction, it doesn't look like Manberg has an exit. It was like he's running in circles, no matter how far he ran he still passes the same exact buildings repeatedly despite how hard he wanted to escape Manberg's area he's still stuck like a little hamster running on it's wheel, this felt like a cage, a cage for Tommy to rot in like how he left the Pogtopians. After what felt like hours of non stop running Tommy collapsed onto the grass near the podium, still stuck in one place of Manberg, he huffs heavily trying to catch his breath and all he wanted to do was scream for someone, anyone.

"Please, I don't want to be here anymore" He mutters to himself while his voice began to tremble, he was on his knees and gripping on his blond hair tightly. Tommy has never felt like this before, he's never actually felt this terrified in his life ever, after all those deadly wars he had overcome _this_ is the thing that scares him, it surprised him.

Tommy closed his eyes shut as he started to grit his teeth together, his eyebrows furrowing together like they've been stitched. He doesn't know what to expect once he closes his eyes but something tells him that he had to, like something is going to change once he does, the sudden atmosphere felt less tense than before and it was like Tommy was spinning in circles rapidly. His only wish at this moment was to escape this maze, this hamster wheel, Manberg. And with those prayers beating like his racing heart, he gasped and sat up from his bed.

The entire bedroom was dark, a shade of dark blue if you will, Tommy turns his sweaty head to look out the window and instead of it being a bright light it was just the view of leaves from a tree and the black colored sky. Tommy sighs in relief before he looks at his entire room and now the wooden slabs were back and Tubbo is on the bed sleeping in peace and snoring softly while hugging the blankets. Tommy placed a hand on his chest as he tries to process his thoughts on what had happened, all of that was only a simple dream, how come he didn't realize it was?

He was just thankful he wasn't in Manberg and that he was safe here, in his room, with the company of his dearest friend. Tommy wasn't really sure if he would be able to go back to sleep again, and it also doesn't seem like the night is going anywhere near morning, so Tommy slowly moved himself to sit at the edge of his bed, he gripped on the sheets a little as if he thinks he was still in that horrendous dream, he needed to remind himself he was in the real world. He got up from his bed carefully incase he doesn't wake Tubbo up and concern him, the blond decided that maybe this night he shouldn't sleep for now, he just needed something to drink or something to eat so he could calm himself down, his hands continue to tremble like his shaky breath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (A/N) Do you guys think I should still continue this AU? Since afterall Dream SMP Season 2 has started, let me know!


	9. Our Forest, Our Land, Our Nation

_“Get back here, Dream!"_

_In the middle of the grassy field, if you could just squint your eyes and look closely you would be able to see two loud little boys with short but sharp swords in their hands swinging them around cutting through the high grass and chasing one another. They seem to be having fun playing together considering they're holding harmful weapons with them, but these two boys were special and weren't like any other usual boys that are around the SMP, they were like warriors or the knight in kid's story books or the guards of a castle. They were TechnoBlade and Dream, a couple of kids who get themselves into risky situations for their own pleasure, some other kids around the land would catch them sword fighting or parkouring around the area and would take a moment to gaze at them in awe fantasizing of being so brave and powerful like them one day._

_And Techno and Dream wouldn't really mind it if they get tons of people staring at them, they love the attention they get from their skills and they love being special. They couldn't really do all that much since the two are still eleven and ten years old, but the kinds of things they could do are jumping from tree to tree, defend themselves with swords, dodging attacks and even swing from vines._

_"You're such a slowpoke!" Dream teased as he kept running away from Techno who was chasing him from behind, the two kids would play games like any other normal kid, but rather much different games._

_When you think of kids playing games you'd think they'll play Tag or Hide and Seek or Ring around the Rosie, but kids like Techno and Dream they would hunt down sheep and cows when they see one, and also train themselves to fight with each other. So far Techno has been trying to catch Dream in this field of grass to master his PvP so he could train himself to kill running entities, they would often switch roles so the same thing goes for Dream._

_"How are you so fast?! It's not fair" Techno wailed as he stomped his foot to the ground out of slight anger, he really hated whenever Dream would run away from him and jump over rocks, he sure does do parkour and running better than Techno. Dream who then slowed down his pace only started laughing as he walked over towards the pink haired boy and grabbed onto his shoulder._

_"You just need to practice more Techno, I'm pretty sure you'll get the hang of it. Do you want another rematch?" Dream asked while raising his eyebrow up, his tone in an offering manner that only determinates the pink haired folk even more. He gave a toothy grin before he lifts up his diamond sword, as he was about to speak up he was suddenly interrupted by a loud shout coming from behind him which made his eyes widen, both Dream and Techno looked back and see a small figure of an older kid yelling at them, you could hardly see the kid from the grass field since the grass are so tall._

_"Technooo! Philza said it's time for you to go home!"_

_Techno lowers down his sword as his energized face slowly drops with a sad sigh, he turns his head back to Dream and scratched his head while chuckling awkwardly._

_"Who's that?" Dream asked with now a short frown behind his white mask, still not knowing who that person in the distance is and what they had said, but by the looks of Techno's face he can just tell it wasn't that good of news._

_"It's Wills, looks like I gotta get back home now. Dang, that much time has passed already huh?" Techno muttered as he looks at the sun that was slowly beginning to set, the beaming light emitting from it shone across the green field making it a shade of yellow, Dream frowned as he heard that answer since he wanted to hangout with Techno more and practice his sword fighting with him. Since all of Dream's other friends like George and Sapnap aren't really that good at sword fighting yet so they weren't much of a 'challenge' for Dream. Techno on the other hand is perfect for Dream to mess with and practice on since both of their fight skills are more or less even._

_"Aw man, really? You gotta go now? Okay well, wanna do this again tomorrow?" Dream shrugged with now a short smile on his face, now can't wait for the next day to hangout with his pig friend again, Techno chuckled quietly and nodded without an answer, besides he's still not a kid who likes to talk that much especially to people who aren't a part of his family. The two boys said their goodbyes and Techno walked away from the grass field while Dream stood still with both of his palms behind his head as he watches his friend growing more and more of a distance away from him, the tall grass almost covering his whole body._

_Techno walked over to his brother Wilbur who had witnessed his brother and his friend's goodbye which caused him to have a cheeky smile plastered on his lips, Techno just so happens to notice that cheeky smile as he walked towards him and immediately he knew he was going to be in for a long ride, whenever Wilbur has that smile it always means he'll make fun of you for something, possibly anything, like any other annoying brother would do._

_"You're finally getting along with someone here in the SMP, I didn't think that it would be Dream though but I'm happy for you anyways" Wilbur commented as he placed his hand on Techno's colored hair and ruffled it up a bit, the younger lad just rolled his eyes and folded his arms together as he walks pass him. Techno was similar to his younger brother Tommy, he doesn't get a long with much of the kids here but not because they weren't the same age as him, but it was because Techno doesn't really like talking to people let alone become friends._

_Many kids in the SMP have tried making friends with him like Badboyhalo, Niki, Karl and much more but they've mostly failed and gave up so they had no other choice but to leave Techno alone. The pink lad always had his thoughts wondering about the first kid who was ever spawned here, Dream, he thinks that Dream was an unusual kid and is sometimes really weird with his unsettling smiling mask that he barely took off._

_Considering the masked kid has been in this SMP the longest you would think he'd be quite smarter than others, well not really since there are times where he's a total idiot, but Techno one day caught him swinging his sword around killing animals in just one swoop, that was when Techno got interested and curious. So he confronted Dream, for the first time, actually confronting an whole different human being, it was a pretty awkward first impression but they've grown closer and more comfortable together._

_As Wilbur and Techno made it back to their cottage, the curly knocked on the front door with a loud greeting of 'We're home!'. The youngest of the family, a 6 year old Tommy, answered the door with a miserable face, like he has had enough of his older brother._

_"Where have you guys been this entire time? Philza wouldn't let me eat stew before you two are home, thanks a bunch" Tommy frowned before he walked away from the front door bitterly, Wilbur only chuckled as an answer and Techno mostly just ignored his little brother. The two boys walked inside and a warm smell suddenly loomed over them like fog, it drew their attention since they recognized very well what kind of smell this is, it's the smell of something they couldn't be bothered to ignore, the two of them tracked down the source and the most logical place it could be from is in the kitchen._

_In the kitchen area they spot their caretaker, Philza, who in their eyes they see as their Father. He wasn't their biological one though, but the little boys had always pictured him as one, when the boys first spawned in the SMP as much younger children they didn't have anywhere to go or to live, but with Philza carrying them under his wing he decided to adopt three kids that seems to have caught his eyes, the second he laid his eyes onto each of them he knew they would make a difference in the world, he just has that gut feeling they'll do something big, and he has hopes for them._

_"Hey pops, what's for dinner?" Techno questioned while walked up towards Philza and rested his arms on top of the wooden counter, darting his eyes between his Father and the crafting table that was placed in front._

_"There you both are, I've been making some bread and stew for dinner. You wouldn't believe how impatient Tommy was being earlier, pretty sure he would've combust if you didn't come any sooner, but anyhow you two should stay by the dinner table with him. You know how he doesn't like being lonely" Philza said with a warm smile, still moving his hands around the table crafting food with all sorts of items and ingredients. Techno hears Wilbur groan behind him, whenever the curly boy is left alone with the blond it always ends up in shambles or arguments, meanwhile the pink haired boy tried his best to not get involved whenever those happened._

_"Why can't we stay with you here in the kitchen instead? I don't want to sit by a table with a moody prick sitting across from me"_

_"I can hear you from way over here, idiot! I'm not moody!" Tommy shouted from the other room which caused Wilbur to laugh and hold his stomach. Philza turns his head to the source of the yelling._

_"Watch your mouth, Tomathy. We don't call eachother names in this household" Philza warned with a smirk, even if he's supposed to play the parent role in this house he still couldn't help but tease his youngest son once in a while. When the adult has already finished making all the food, he instructed his two oldest sons to help him carry some of the food to the dinner table where the youngest was impatiently waiting at, already leaning himself forward towards the table in anticipation. The three little boys had their stomach's grumbling just begging to be fed, Philza sat beside Tommy while Wilbur sat across and Techno sitting beside Wilbur, the four of them had their feast happily and talked about their day as evening ends._

_These meals they have are the only moments where they could bond together as four, since usually one of them would always be absent either hanging out with their friend outside or just doing their own hobbies. Like usually Wilbur would be too busy practicing playing the guitar that Philza gave to him when he was ten, and sometimes Techno would be outside hunting and training his fighting skills with Dream, as for Tommy he would either be alone or with in the forest with Tubbo._

_"So how is Dream? I'm guessing you two still fight together?" Philza took a bite of his bread before looking over at the middle child who hummed as an answer, he didn't really have any other words to add up to that._

_"I'm surprised you still haven't gotten yourself hurt, Techno. You always put yourself in harmful situations and you barely got a scratch" Wilbur complimented while looking to the side to see his quiet younger brother who is picking at his stew, Wilbur sometimes would be amazed at the things his younger brother could do and he would often be jealous at how someone who is younger than him could be so experienced, but other than that he does feel proud of him._

_"He's a real madman aren't ya, Techno? Did you know that one time I saw him and Dream parkour on trees?! On trees! Like an absolute monkey he is" Tommy mumbled out with his mouth still full of chewed stew, this made the Father of the group widened his eyes once he heard those news and quickly turned his head towards Techno as if he had said something offensive._

_"You what?! Techno, what on earth are you thinking? You could seriously injure yourself" Philza scolded with now a more stern look in his eyes, even if he often let's Techno use his weapons and fight mobs, it doesn't make him any less worried for his safety, since after all he's still a young child who has nothing better to do. Philza would only let Techno do these kids of things because this is his hobby, it's to make him happy cause apparently he loves doing what he's doing and Philza wouldn't want to take that away from him._

_"Don't worry Pops I'll be careful, the trees aren't that tall anyways" Techno mutters lowly, only to be received with a concerned expression from his Father figure who is still worried for him one day that he'll fall from a tree and hurt himself, the least Philza wants is for any of his sons to have to experience the painful feeling of death struck to them and having to respawn for the first time._

_Respawning is not a pleasant feeling, sure you still get chances to stay in this world and be with your loved ones but it doesn't change the fact how painful it is to go through it. The pain is unbearable and it will only stick around for just a split moment, but it'll feel like it's hours. The pain grows from your wounds and to every bone of your body, making it more dreadful to experience. Philza has respawned one too many times in his life and he's gotten used to the pain, but that doesn't mean it hurt any less, he still couldn't imagine one of his children or any of the other little kids in the SMP having to respawn._

_"You two wouldn't believe what me and Wills have been planning for a few days now!" Tommy's sudden appearance of voice made the adult man flinch in his seat, like he had been aggressively pulled out of his thoughts by a fishing hook. He blinks before turning his head to his youngest son sitting beside him._

_"What could that be, Tommy?" Philza lifted an eyebrow with a soft smile, pretending like he was unbothered. Still struggling to fight off the negative images and circumstances in his mind, he should be bonding with his kids now, not thinking._

_"Me and Wilbur had an idea of making a city or- or a village here in this SMP! Since y'know there's a lot of people here spawning randomly at random places and at random times so why not make houses for them and have a leader and all that?" Tommy suggested while making hand gestures around the table, all eyes were on him and were pretty interested in his plan, Wilbur already knew the plan from the beginning but he still enjoyed just thinking of it, he couldn't help but put on an excited grin._

_"No no, Tommy. I changed my mind about the village thing, I don't just want to make a village, I want to have an entire country" Wilbur stood up from his seat with his palm placed on the table, already drowning in the sea of motivation and determination, swallowing his thoughts as he started to fantasize of his future._

_Little Tommy couldn't help but let out a quiet gasp as he stares in awe at his big brother, feeling the same energy of thrill down his back. The middle child however had his eyes wide and pupils small but with a confused expression as he lifted an eyebrow and looking up at his oldest sibling like he had said something that is impossible to do, which he sort of did. Techno was a little skeptical on the whole country idea and leadership. But Philza seemed to be a little surprised that his son has already set his goals pretty high, which wasn't a bad thing, out of anything Philza had faith._

_"A country? No way are you making a country. There's so many responsibilities and heavy things you need to do to make a country, and besides a country is wide and big, our population is too small" Techno said, clearly not agreeing with the plan while he mentioned off all the many reasons on why it wouldn't be that great of a plan but his older brother just chuckled while muttering Techno's name._

_"I know that, silly. I'm sure once I'm older I'll be able to work things out, and a country doesn't have to be wide and big, it can be small since there aren't really any rules. And besides I'll be the one making those rules cause I'll be the president of course, and Tommy will be my VP!" Wilbur puts one of his hands on the side of his hips before reaching the other one out to Tommy's direction as he finishes his sentence, the younger boy stood up from his chair as well and pulled his fist out into the open air._

_"Yeah! We're going to be so cool! Techno, you wanna be a part of it? Since you're our close pal after all, waddaya say?" Tommy invited with a teasing smirk, both brothers all looked at Techno with eyes that radiates their wanting for the strong and brave middle child to join clans with them, they'll then be unstoppable with Techno by their side. The pink haired boy didn't know much how to feel about this since he wasn't really into the idea of creating a nation, he mostly didn't really understand the whole ordeal and why._

_"Um, give me time to think about it I guess" Was the only words that managed to escape from Techno's mouth, the truth is he wishes that he was never asked about that question again nor does he want to answer it any time sooner. He doesn't want to disappoint his brothers at all and feel guilty for it, and he also doesn't want to have any part in being in a country let alone help ruling it, his two brothers all frowned as they didn't exactly get the answer they wanted to hear come out of Techno but they were satisfied enough with it and shrugged it off._

_What happened after dinner was a whole big blur, nothing important and nothing exciting really happened, it was like time after dinner had flown by for a brief moment like a bird. The boys have to change into their striped pajamas by now since it's near their bedtime, they wear matching pajamas cause of course, Philza thought it looked really adorable on them, and it does. The three boys also share a room together, they didn't really mind sharing a room but as long as no one bothers anyone then they would be in good hands, although often they would start pillow fights in the middle of the night and wake up their Father._

_"Goodnight you three, sweet dreams" Philza said softly before pulling up the blankets from Tommy's end of the bed and covered it over his chest, then gently kissing Tommy's temple making him smile from ear to ear. Philza didn't get a response from any of his kids but he doesn't mind it since he understands how tired his boys must be after this long day, Philza takes a quick glance at each of his sons who were already drifting away to their slumber before walking towards the bedroom door and flicking the light switch off._

_Techno moved around his bed to find a comfortable position for him, as he finally found his sweet spot he decided to try and fall asleep. But he couldn't help but hear a few things moving around in the room, like shuffling of blankets and pillows and the wooden floor creaking, but he figured it was probably his brothers in their beds just maneuvering around. After what felt like a few minutes of slumber Techno began to hear a few whispering in the room, this is what caused him to flutter his eyes open. The pink haired boy tried to ignore the whispers and mutters but they were such a bother it made it impossible for Techno to concentrate enough to sleep again. With slight annoyance, he sat up from his bed and rubbed his eyes._

_He looked around the room to find the two other beds empty, his brothers weren't sleeping on them and the pillows and blankets were gone, it was basically just two mattresses. The other thing Techno sees is what appears to be a pillow fortress at the corner of the room, a red blanket was lifted up by pillows making it seem like some sort of roof and walls, it looked like a small cubicle, there was a light coming from inside casting a silhouette of two boys. Techno raised an eyebrow before he sighed, he moves his blanket away from his lap and hopped off his bed._

_He slowly walks over towards the small pillow fortress, he crouches and listened closely, he definitely hears Wilbur and Tommy speaking quietly to each other and giggling about something. Techno then had the idea to lift up the blanket and surprise them, which he did, he grabbed the end of the blanket on the floor and opened it to reveal his two brothers screeching at the suddenly jumpscare._

_"Techno! What the hell, don't do that!" Wilbur whisper yelled at the middle child, causing him to chuckle shortly. Techno sees inside the pillow fortress are his siblings, a lit lantern placed in between them, and a piece of paper with a few pencils on the floor. It confused the pink haired boy even more and he started to get pretty curious on what the boys could be talking about that is so secret._

_"What are you guys doing anyways? You're suppose to sleep" Techno said before he enters the pillow fortress and sat inside, closing the blanket behind him. His brothers glanced at eachother before looking back at him as though they were hesitating if they should tell their plan or not, but since they've already announced it back at dinner there really is no hope in trying to hide it._

_"Fine, fine. We were planning on making our country like we said earlier, see here? We're drawing the map of our country and thinking of buildings and places we would make in it!" Tommy explained while picking up the piece of paper and shoving it in front of Techno's face, it was like his anger towards him earlier for scaring him had disappeared completely. Techno takes the piece of paper from Tommy's hand and examines the drawing. The drawing looked pretty terrible and messy but he could still see make out a few buildings and towers._

_"I suggest that we make a large white house with five floors and a floating fountain in the center!" Tommy says while he points towards the unidentified scribbles on the map, Techno knew that all these drawings are made by the youngest little lad since all of these look nothing like a map at all. But he didn't really care, he placed down the paper onto the wooden floor._

_"Nice ideas, but can't you two do it tomorrow morning? Do you really have to stay up the whole night for this?" Techno questioned with a lifted brow, he looks over at the oldest sibling that was suppose to be the mature and responsible one here. Wilbur looks at him feeling a little embarrassed and rubbing the back of his neck._

_"Okay look, Techno how about... we will let you come up with building ideas for our country in exchange to not tell Phil about this. Deal?" Wilbur said while sticking his hand out for his younger brother to shake, Techno glances from Wilbur's hand and to Wilbur's face back and forth before sighing and folded his arms together with an unamused face._

_"Or what?" The pink haired boy asked again, not feeling that threatened, he needed much more convincing than that._

_"Or we would uh... tell Phil you stole the entire potato stash last week" Wilbur squinted his eyes with a menacing grin, Techno stood quiet as he now felt slightly cornered, he hears Tommy saying 'Oooo' faintly in the background. And with one last moment of thinking Techno finally obliged and surrendered since the least he wanted was to have his Father figure to scold him and have him pick potatoes as punishment._

_"Okay fine you got me, so anyway what have you guys came up with so far?" Techno then moves around to be in a better position by laying on his stomach on the cold wooden floor, he sees the oldest pick up the badly drawn map and a pencil that was placed beside him. He examines the map while humming, Wilbur and Tommy have already made some houses that they plan to build near the Forest and maybe some statues in the center of the grass field. Wilbur twirls around his pencil in between his fingers like they were dancing together._

_"I'm thinking we should make a school, y'know? So everyone here can be educated" Wilbur shrugged as he looks at both of his brothers for their approval, Tommy only gave a sour look before sticking his tongue out in disgust. He doesn't really like the idea of schools like most kids do, he's already had a hard time being homeschooled with Philza so he doesn't really look forward to the idea of a whole building of studying._

_"School? Ugh give me a break, why are you making our country so boring? I say we make another statue, a statue of me made out of cobblestone!" Tommy took the paper out of Wilbur's grasp and started scribbling on the paper with his own pencil that was placed on his lap, Wilbur groaned._

_"What is it with you and cobblestone these days? Cobble looks hideous, right Techno?" Wilbur looked over at Techno hoping for a satisfied answer from him. The pink haired boy widened his eyes at the sudden attention he got while he hesitated for an answer._

_"I guess a little bit? I mean there are a few other blocks that I prefer—"_

_"I don't care what Techno thinks, I am Vice President and I say all statues we're making are out of cobblestone!" Tommy made clear of as he continues on scribbling some unknown writing on the paper that two of the other boys couldn't really see. Wilbur seems to take offense in what the youngest has said due to his surprised and angered look._

_"Well I am President which means I am more superior than you, Tommy. And I say no we are not making our statues out of cobblestone" Wilbur spat out before he took back his piece of paper from Tommy which caused the blond to growl and tighten his fist. He gave a pout to Wilbur as he looks away with salt lingering around his heart, as usual Techno only stood muted during the whole argument since he doesn't want to get involved, out of anything he was pretty surprised the paper wasn't ripped apart already._

_"I don't even know what that word means" The blond mumbles words under his breath which he actually meant to say in his head, but Wilbur ignored him by not replying anything and kept his focus still on the map, to be completely honest the curly haired boy has massive ideas twirling around in his head for his future nation, he just likes to keep them secret and hidden for himself. He likes the feeling of leadership and in charge of everything, he has lots of confidence in himself like no other kid, he would often challenge himself by setting his goals quite high just for his own pleasure._

_"How about we make a building for the guards of the country? Like a place for the police men or something, The building could be made out of cobblestone and inside there will he armor and weapons?" Techno spoke up finally with his tired and muffled voice that was buried deep into his striped pajamas, Wilbur's ears perked up at that idea as a toothy smile began to form on his face, he gave a proud slap onto Techno's shoulder._

_"You're a genius Techno! Man I almost forgot about that, let me draw it real quick" Wilbur said with an uplifting voice, almost forgetting to stay quiet so he wouldn't wake up his dad. Techno looked at Wilbur with hopeful eyes that sparked, and with that he smiled warmly into his sleeve while also hiding it. Tommy then had another great idea that had popped in his head and decided to interrupt._

_"Techno maybe that's where you'll stay! You can be our guard or something since you can fight mobs and all that, you'll have all the armor and weapons we could ever have without having to borrow from Phil!" Tommy nudged his elbow into Techno's shoulder with his head tilted to the side, the middle child really did like the idea of having armor and powerful weapons that can so lots of damage, it was always his fantasy to have such tools. Maybe joining in on this country wasn't that bad of an idea, maybe he could maybe even have enchanted swords._

_"Sooo, you joining?" Wilbur asked with a glance._

_"Add a potato farm, then I'll consider" Techno smiles shortly, he made both of his brothers chuckle at his words but they do agree on the potato farm idea, I mean they have to make a source of food in their country at some point. Wilbur was thinking that maybe the farm could be placed somewhere on the grass field where his brother and Dream always hang around at, it was a nice land of tall grass that's for sure but it would look better if it were a rice field, and the sun is at a pretty good position too so the crops would have no problem to get sunlight._

_"What if we make a farm and THEN a cobblestone statue of me beside it?" Tommy persuaded again, still clinging on that little piece of hope to have a huge statue of himself in his country that he could admire at any day, he hears Wilbur groan again for the umpteenth time._

_"No, we aren't ever making a statue of you Tommy. Especially not out of rough cobble" Wilbur declined once again, not even having a moment to have second thoughts. He never knew his brother could be so narcissistic but then again he doesn't seem all that surprised that he is, since he's a six year old._

_"You should be like that friend of yours, Tubbo, he's more well behaved and quiet" Techno chuckles breathily while he fiddles with one of the pencils that are on the wooden floor, the poor youngest only frowned as he glared daggers onto the middle child, and acted grumpy like usual. All he wanted was a statue of himself what harm could that do?_

_"Okay, here's what we've had planned," Wilbur began as he gently lifts up the lantern in the middle by its handle and laid out the crumpled map on the center for all three boys to view._

_"We have our White house to the east, and then in front of it is our floating fountain. The farm would be in the grass field, and maybe make it wider, and then we will have a few houses for people to live in right in front of the farm. Over here is the forest and that's where the tower of armor and weapons will be at, any objections?" Wilbur quickly explained as he moves his index finger around the map, he then looks up from the paper to view his two brothers and see if they have any other ideas or opinions they want to share, by the looks of it the two of them didn't have anything to add._

_"Wait I want—"_

_"Again, we aren't making a cobblestone statue of you Tommy"_

_"Aww"_

_After awhile of thinking and wondering, the three kids have all nodded their heads in agreement that they would continue their meeting onto another day since it's starting to get pretty late at night, and they can't really think properly when they're tired. And pretty sure if they continue on talking to eachother soon enough they'll get caught by Philza and it wouldn't really end good. Wilbur blew out the candle inside the lantern as the two younger ones all carefully left the fortress, but unfortunately for Tommy his foot accidentally hit one of the pillows of the fortress causing the entire thing to collapse on top of the bodies of all three boys, and after that it was all silent angry bickers at each other._

_In the very early and purple morning, before the birds even flew off chirping, there stood a familiar kid amongst the green vibrant field, he took a few deep breaths in and a few breaths out to let the morning air flow through his body. He was only calmly standing there looking out onto the beaming sunrise that lightened the world like a light bulb, the kid admired every minute of it with a disappointed frown in his lips. Technoblade, he held the hilt of his sword tightly in his palm as his day was already ruined before it even began._

_But in the end he needed to keep himself busy for today, which he finds it hard to do. Yes, he could go hunting for cows and yes he could go explore in caves and look for mobs, but it's been quite a while ever since the last time he had to do all those activities alone. He was waiting for his friend Dream to come over to him and start training like he had promised yesterday, but sadly one of his friends, George, had told the news that Dream was sick and he didn't want to get out of bed._

_Techno was even surprised that someone like Dream could get sick despite how 'powerful' he is, but the pink haired boy didn't want to bother him while he rests so here he is exposing himself alone in the grass. He hears from the side of him someone is stepping on the grass, the steps going closer and closer towards Techno. He didn't have to turn his head or even take a brief look to know who it is, he has his own senses of his family members._

_"He's sick huh? What do you want to do now without him?" Wilbur tilted his head, fists dug inside the pockets of his dark blue jeans. The younger lad lowered his head since he doesn't know an answer, and it would be an embarrassment to not come up with one. But he couldn't think of anything and there wasn't hope in lying._

_"I don't know" Techno responded shortly, he intended to reply with a longer sentence but nothing else really came out of his mouth. The curly older brother turned his gaze from Techno's side and onto the sword he was holding firmly. It was pretty surprising how an eleven year old would be able to hold a diamond weapon without showing any sign of struggle, Wilbur thought the diamond sword would be at least a little heavy._

_"You really want to fight with someone? You look very ready too" Wilbur chuckled as he puts his hand near his lips, he began to wonder about his own fighting skills. Wilbur never really fought any mobs that often or kill any animals, all that work is depending on Techno so Tommy and Wilbur never really had a chance to experience it for themselves that often. But Wilbur still had some sword tricks up his sleeves that he's been dying to try._

_"Techno, why don't your spar with me instead today?" Wilbur took a step closer towards his younger brother who widened his eyes and finally turned his head to face Wilbur. He wasn't expecting his oldest brother to suggest something like that but he wasn't complaining about it, he just never saw Wilbur as that type of guy._

_"You? Want to spar with me? You sure about that Wills?" Techno asked as he didn't really believe that his brother could be able to handle sparring with him, pretty sure Wilbur doesn't know what Techno was really capable of but then again the pink haired wasn't complaining, he just wanted to make sure that his brother was positive of this._

_"Yeah, why not? I've always wanted to learn more on how to fight, so just go easy on me okay? Maybe you can even teach me a little while we're at it" Wilbur said while trying to hype his brother up, now getting a little excited to begin, no one knows this but Wilbur always loved whenever he holds a sword, since it always made him feel so powerful just touching one. Techno hesitated for a bit, he knew he wasn't going to be that good of a teacher nor does he do a good job explaining things, but since he has nothing better to do it's best to spend quality time with your sibling rather than standing awkwardly in the middle of a field._

_"Fine, okay so just uh... take this sword" Techno went through his inventory and pulled out the only other sword he carried with him, it was a rustic stone sword that he hasn't used in a while but it was still pretty strong and in tact. Wilbur's face dropped into an annoyed look as he takes the stone sword and inspects it, staring at every detail of it._

_"Why does it have to be a stone sword? That's not fair, you have a diamond one!" Wilbur complained as he points to the shining sword that his younger brother was holding, Techno only held back a laugh that turned into a quiet snort. He didn't really have any other weapons to make this a fair fight, but he figured that at the start he will just teach Wilbur the basics of sword fighting before actually getting into the sparring part between them._

_"I'll just tell you a few tips and tricks first, we need to take it slow you dunce" Techno smiled while gently hitting his brother's shoulder with his elbow. The pink haired boy then stepped closer to his brother and instructed the curly on the correct position of combat. Moving his arms, foot, head, until he was in the right posture. Both legs slightly apart from each other, one leg further than the other, arms lifted and head looking looking straight forward. Another tip that Techno told was to stay calm during the start, meditating even, of you're feeling nervous or stressed during the start of combat it would worsen your moves and the chances of slipping up are high._

_If you stay calm and confident, your mind would have enough space to think about your moves and be careful. Sometimes you would have to take a few deep breaths before fighting just to calm yourself down._

_"I think that would be a little hard for me, I mean I'd be too busy worrying that I might die" Wilbur admitted with a nervous chuckle, his brother didn't seem all that fazed by it since he too has been in that same situation multiple times._

_"I've been like that, but don't worry you'll get used to it. And once you do, it becomes so much more easier" Techno said with a short reassuring smile, he then continued on explaining on his take on sword fighting to his brother while also teaching him his secret ways to kill living things in a more simple way, still making sure that his posture and steadiness are accurate. In the far distance from the field there you would be able to see thick trees, trees that lead up to another special part of the SMP other than the grass field._

_That place is known to be the Forest, this place was like the playground for the kids here, they would mostly spend their time in this certain biome just keeping themselves occupied by climbing the trees or playing Hide and Seek. This Forest wasn't those types where it's scary with the very tall trunks and feeling like the whole thing is a maze, it isn't really that difficult to memorize the whole place, that's why kids in the SMP wouldn't have a problem with getting lost._

_Currently, in between those trees by the Forest there stood two other young boys. They seem to be enjoying themselves looking around the Forest and kicking the fallen leaves from the ground. They were having a small conversation to each other about countries and the future, well only one of them is doing most of the talking while the other one is listening._

_"Me, Wilbur, and Techno last night stayed up for the next few hours thinking of more buildings for our future country. And we made some pretty cool building designs I must say, Tubbo" Tommy puts his palm on his chest before leaning his back against a tree, feeling quite proud of himself. His closest friend Tubbo looked at him with curiosity filling his pupils, even if he doesn't understand the whole country and presidency thing he still wanted to hear what Tommy has planned._

_"Oh really? What buildings?" The brunette asked before he also leans against a tree in front of the blond boy._

_"Oh you know, the usual, like houses and a White house and a statue of me out of cobblestone for people to bask in my glory" Tommy's smile grew and grew into a wide menacing grin as he began to imagine the picture of his large sculpture right in front of everyone to salute, Tubbo gave him a suspicious look by raising a brow._

_"Did Wilbur really let you have a statue of yourself in his country?" Tubbo smiled, as he didn't believe a word his friend says. Tommy's lips curved to a frown while his uplifting eyes drooped, he got up from leaning and began to frolic through the Forest again as he shouts._

_"Of course, Tubbo! I mean why wouldn't he? That was probably the best offer he could ever hoped for in his life, I mean who wouldn't want to view my face everyday they wake up in the morning?" Tommy rests both of his palms behind his head as he jumped over a few rocks in the forest, Tubbo trailed behind him while also making sure that they both don't travel too far into the woods, even if they both know their way around the Forest like the back of their hand Tubbo was still nervous._

_"Me probably, and so does everyone else" Tubbo chuckled as he lowered his head down to watch his steps. Tommy whipped his head around to view behind him and glare at his friend as his blood boils, if looks could kill then Tubbo would've been a soulless walking corpse._

_"You're a big jerk" Tommy mutters under his breath before turning his head back to face the front, he hears behind him Tubbo struggling to hold his laughter back but failed miserably at it which didn't help the blond boy any better. Tubbo was still as curious as before about the country and he started to feel a little interested in it, he must admit he's beginning to think of participating on helping probably._

_"So anyway, Wilbur's gonna be President right? And you're Vice President?" The brown haired boy recalled as he walked further until he was next to the blond, the younger and shorter one nodded his head with a hum, now back to smiling again but trying to hide it._

_"What can I be then?" Tubbo tilted his head to the side smiling eager to know the answer, this was when Tommy widened his eyes a little as he cringed and gritted his teeth. He's never really thought of what role Tubbo would be as in the future and he hadn't discussed about that yet with Wilbur, so he doesn't really know what to answer. Tommy didn't even think that Tubbo would join in on the whole country plan._

_"You can be the uhh... you- you'll be our butler how about that?" Tommy says with a forced smile, patting his friend on his shoulder. Tubbo on the other hand didn't look that excited about it, in fact his face had dropped into a miserable expression. He pouts and fold his arms together._

_"What? Why am I a butler?" He questions, hoping he'd get a much more important role than just a butler._

_"I mean what's wrong with being a butler? You get to help me and Wilbur with things and clean up our White house and serve us food. You'll be very, very useful I'm sure of it" Tommy tried to convince his good pal for the butler title, even though he also knew that being a butler is quite lame he still needed one at the end of the day, so who would be a better fit of a butler than Tubbo? He's a helpful kid and he's soft spoken as well._

_"Are you sure? I mean, I expected to be something more important than that" Tubbo shrugged, he didn't have a problem with being a butler but he was hoping to be as someone more superior than just a simple helper, he wanted to do more serious things and join in on the private meetings and leadership._

_"A butler can be important too Tubbo! I mean I'd be nothing without a butler by my side ain't that right Big man?" Tommy wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulder and pulled him closer to his embrace, his friend still didn't feel all that satisfied with being the butler but it's better than nothing he suppose. After that something had suddenly came into their vision, causing their attention to switch. Both young boys turn their heads almost in sync and they see the tall grass field that is located beside the Forest, they saw two familiar kids standing there in the field holding what appears to be swords._

_Tommy grabbed onto Tubbo's lower arm and dragged him closer towards the field, they both lowered their backs to hide themselves behind the puffy bushes so they would be completely hidden. The two of them stare at the other pair of boys in the distance and inspected their every move, it appears to be that the two boys were talking to one another and standing in odd looking positions, their voices were faint and quiet so it was a little difficult to make out what they're saying. But Tommy could just see that they were holding swords, the only logical answer is that they are Dream and Techno training together again like any other normal day._

_"Oh my goodness gracious me is that Dream and Techno? Are they fighting each other again? Oh wait no... that's Wilbur" Tommy noticed that the clothing the other boy is wearing didn't look like what Dream would usually wear, it wasn't his green hoodie and it didn't look like he was wearing a white mask. Tommy could recognize that yellow jumper anywhere within a 5 mile radius. He became intrigued on what his two brothers could he doing so he inched closer and leaned further into the bush._

_"Huh, they're sparring with each other. Look how stupid they look" Tommy laughed quietly, covering his mouth with both of his palms as he did so. Tubbo who was crouching beside him didn't exactly feel the same way, he didn't feel the need to laugh or to feel rascally, in fact it was the entire opposite. He scrunched up his nose and didn't say a word, the bad feeling he always gets have came up again in a sudden split second, like always he hated this feeling, he's tried to learn on how to control his bad feeling known as what he heard is called 'Anxiety' but he couldn't help but feel that way every time he sees the pink fellow._

_"And Wilbur has a dumb stone sword too while Techno has a diamond one! Haha! What a loser, that my friend is our future President" Tommy joked about as he pointed with his index finger, he looked back at his friend with a toothy smile before he immediately notices the worried appearance Tubbo had on his face. Tommy softens a little and scooted closer to Tubbo._

_"Hey you alright? That bad feeling's here again?" Tommy asks while placing both his hands on top of Tubbo's shoulders, his brunette friend only stuttered on his words with a curvy smile as he rubs his arm up and down. He couldn't help but glance from Techno and Tommy back and forth._

_"Only a little though, I mean as long as he doesn't go closer and see us then I'm alright" Tubbo informed as he replaced his nervous look with a reassuring smile hoping he'd relief his friend from worrying about him too much, he didn't want to be a bother. Tommy stood quiet for a short while and glanced his ocean blue orbs all over Tubbo before patting his shoulder with a determined smile as if he's telling him to stay strong, Tommy has known about Tubbo's condition for a while now and he felt a little terrible for him, his fellow brunette would get so nervous and shy around people he doesn't talk to much and the sight of it could be quite sad. So Tommy tries to help him whichever way he can._

_Tommy turns his head back to the grass field and to spy on his two older siblings now beginning to sword fight each other while yelping, according to how they act and how they talk so calmly Tommy thinks that maybe Techno is teaching Wilbur how to attack with a sword. Which Tommy thinks it's unfair since the both of them never taught Tommy how to fight at all, even if he's still six years old Tommy knew he is much stronger than most kids there, his boosts of confidence is what really made him stronger, it was nice seeing a kid believe in himself so much._

_"Tch, no one in my house ever let's me lay a finger on the swords that Phil has, they don't even let me hold a pickaxe for God's sake! Pickaxes aren't even that sharp anyways, have you ever held a tool Tubbo? Like a pickaxe or a sword or an axe and anything like that?" Tommy quickly bickered before he suddenly asked Tubbo questions making the brown haired boy startle at how quick of a change that paragraph went, surprisingly this isn't an unusual thing that happens since Tommy always does this at most conversations he has, he'd go off on his own fussing about something and then change the subject the next second._

_"Well, Niki has let me borrow her shovel before for digging, and I also got an axe from Karl to chop down wood yesterday so... I guess?" The brown boy shrugged with a brow raised, his friend turned to look at him once again but now with a pout and a jealous spark shining in his eyes._

_"How lucky, I don't even think that Phil or Wilbur or Techno would let me hold any of their tools even once I hit seven. They're so overprotective it's annoying" Tommy rolled his eyes, he looks at his two older brothers who has now shockingly started laughing and making fun of each other, Tommy stares at the two for a brief moment, it was an odd feeling but something about the scene of those two having fun brought a smile up to Tommy's lips. Even if his family wouldn't let him do things he wanted to do because of his age he still thinks they're fun to be around, even if it was only listening to them laugh it makes the others laugh too, if just one of them isn't around then it would change the atmosphere completely like a piece was missing._

_"Wilbur, you're such an idiot!" Tommy hears a loud shout coming from Techno followed by his child-like snorts, the middle child had his head facing towards the sky with his eyes shut closed as he held onto his stomach, almost dropping his sword. Wilbur only laughed with him but feeling more embarrassed than ever, pretty sure his face was going red by how much he's making a fool of himself in front of his little brother._

_"Oh shut up Technoblade!" Wilbur yelled back as he threw the stone sword to the ground, not wanting to continue aimlessly swinging his sword and having someone younger laugh at him every two minutes, Wilbur's intentions before was to have his younger brother teach him and give him tips here in the field on this perfect morning but it all ended up with Techno making fun of the way Wilbur uses his weapons until he couldn't even say words anymore._

_"You aren't even holding the sword correctly!" Techno said in between chuckles, wiping the tears in the corner of his eyes away with the edge of his palm. Wilbur wanted to tell him to stop laughing at him but he didn't get the chance to do it since hearing Techno's contagious laughter was torture for him._

_Days like these are always Wilbur's favorites, he'd always try to look for a way to get his little brothers together and play around just thr three of them being small children and spending their time as one while it lasts. Even if what Wilbur had planned earlier was to have his younger brother teach him how to fight, a part of Wilbur also intended to try and bond more, since he saw how Techno was feeling a little lonely without Dream so Wilbur attempted to make any chance he gets with his brothers and make their lives enjoyable, he loved playing big brother role and he cared deeply for these two very much, even if it often doesn't seem like it, deep down Wilbur would do anything to see Tommy and Techno's smile._

_This was a fact that Philza had noticed after years of taking care of the curly head, Philza had always payed attention to his boys and study them so he'd get every single personality and traits that they have from a distance. Like for example Tommy is confident in himself but since there are many kids older than him he couldn't necessarily express it very well, all four of them enjoyed each of their company, they didn't need a Mother or a sister to complete the family, they seem to be doing just fine all on their own._

_Time would always go by so hurriedly and at the same time it would pass so slow, it's a very weird feeling to often think how two years ago can feel like it was yesterday or the next four minutes can take for two whole hours. That situation happened massively into the Sleepy boys family, it was a different sort of feeling though, it wasn't like the moment that you would go through like any other times where you think time grew slow or fast, it was something a little more difficult for most people to understand._

_Seven, seven years had gone by ever since Wilbur and Techno were sparring in that grass field, seven years had gone by ever since Tommy and Tubbo were behind bushes and watched the whole thing unfold while laughing along. Those seven years were the period of time that felt like it had been only minutes, like it was just yesterday those four boys were outside being adventurous. Tommy has grown much older now, he's now Wilbur's age as a pre-teen, he's learned so much ever since his six year old self, and he's changed a lot too. The bond in between the family is still strong as before, all the kids grew up and two of them are now becoming adults, the Father had grown older as well and he still continues on standing at his kids' side whenever they need him, it was humiliating to know how one of those moments would be their last with Philza._

_Not only did the whole incident completely changed the family, but it changed for the people around them as well that lived near the SMP. It wasn't a good change of course, it wasn't a type of change where you learn a valuable lesson, there was no lesson, it all happened at the same time and no one could prevent it. Even if there was a way to do so, it was too late. This was the moment for the family where time grows slow, how the ticking clock changes it's ticking every hour. That was all that Wilbur could see, the only entertainment he has in the empty house that sounded all too quiet like never before._

_"Tommy, how many times do I have to say this?" Wilbur spoke up after three ticks of the clock on the wall, he takes his eyes off of the clock to look at his little brother waiting for an answer, but just like a few ticks before, Tommy didn't reply. Wilbur then glanced at the bowl of chicken stew right in front of the blond boy, still untouched, not even stirred. Wilbur gave a loud sigh as he fiddles with his fingers on the dinner table._

_"I already said before, I'm not eating" Tommy mutters quietly, not even looking up from the wooden floor to make eye contact with his sibling but continued on staring at his muddy shoes below the table. Tommy has already told many times earlier that he would eat later when he's all by himself, or when he feels like it, but Wilbur didn't believe him at all nor does he trust Tommy to feed himself. Wilbur understands how devastated Tommy must be but often it could get irritating for Wilbur too._

_"Are you going to keep saying how you'll eat when you're alone? And that you'll eat once you want to? Tommy why won't you listen to me? You barely had anything the entire day and I don't want you to get sick. Look I understand how you—"_

_"I'm not eating until he sits here with us!"_

_Tommy shouted, slamming both of his palms against the table causing the bowl to shake while he glances at the lonely empty chair beside his. Wilbur flinched at the sudden yell from his brother, even if Tommy is usually always loud and yelling now and then, something in his shouts ever since the incident has had a violent tone to it._

_"Tommy, Techno will be home in a few minutes alright? He'll join us for dinner shortly after he's out searching" Wilbur explained with the slim patience he has in him, he hated how Tommy's been acting for the past few days, but to be fair who can blame him for that? The three of them haven't been doing well lately on their own and are still going through the stages of grief, the person who's at their worst state is Tommy, ever since that night a couple of weeks ago he hasn't been in the best state. He wasn't really himself lately and even after the many times Wilbur and Techno have tried comforting him and even sitting by his side whenever he's lonely Tommy still rewarded them with his silent treatment._

_"I'm not talking about Techno" Tommy replied shortly, he slumped back in his wooden chair and folded his arms together, still refusing to look at his brother in the eye._

_"Tommy I know you miss him, and I miss him too, okay? I wish he's here with us just as much as you do. But this doesn't mean that you get to be excused on this sort of behavior" Wilbur reached his arm out to hold Tommy's hand as a way of consolation, the poor blond didn't react at all to his words and only turned his head away from Wilbur's direction._

_"I'm just saying that I don't want to eat and you won't listen to me. When I say I don't want to eat that means I mean it, I'll eat later, fucking hell" Tommy raised his voice, his older brother now clueless and decided that he'll just wait until Techno comes home and let him deal with it. Wilbur didn't know what to do with his younger brother at this point, Tommy has gone too far and Wilbur has no idea how to even talk properly with him anymore._

_"But Tommy—"_

_"Just shut up Wilbur!"_

_"Tommy!"_

_Wilbur shouted back at him, now getting up from his chair with his body leaning forwards towards his youngest brother. The tension was heavy and yet everything is still so quiet like before, no one dared to say anything although it wasn't like they have anything so speak of in the first place, it feels like no one enjoyed being anywhere close to one another and all they could feel is the oversharing dull. Even the atmosphere once you take a step inside the house it felt much different than before, like it's all shifted, like an instant cold breeze._

_The creaking sound of the front door opening couldn't have relieve the curly boy much more, can't really say the same for the blond one though. Wilbur turns his head to face the front door and he sees the person he'd been dying to see now, there stood Techno holding an axe in one of his hand with his red cape off of his shoulders, it was a surprise he wasn't covered in crimson blood._

_"Techno, there you are. Can you please tell Tommy to eat his dinner? He's being moody again"Wilbur said as he walked over to his other brother who still had some sense and decency in him, probably the most stable one ever since the loss. Techno grunts as he didn't feel like talking to Tommy at the moment, he has some better things to do rather than scolding his youngest brother._

_"Tommy," Techno began by muttering the boy's name, his voice already stern but still soft, he didn't want to be harsh to any of his family members especially the young thirteen year old, even if they anger him to the point he couldn't take it anymore, the least he wanted was to scare them._

_"Are you not hungry? Come on, Wilbur and I are worried for you. Just eat your stew before it gets cold, you can go hunting with me tomorrow if you could at least eat your meals, how's that?" Techno said as he crouches beside Tommy's chair while trying to look up at the blond's face, hesitating if he should put his hand on his shoulder. Unfortunately his words only made the blond even more infuriated, he took a deep breath as he clenched both of his fists on his lap. He hated the way his brothers are always asking him questions and ordering him to do things like he wasn't old enough already, and especially his friend Tubbo who always tries to help him with his non stop talking and his loud mouth that never seems to shut up, he tries to help Tommy every single day when in reality Tommy wanted him to leave him alone, to just disappear._

_He hurriedly got up from his wooden chair causing it to make a loud noise against the floor before storming off to the staircase, he felt dejected as a huge weight in his chest had began to drown him completely and took him over. It was like a pit of overwhelming emotions all combining in his head and it all dripped down to the edge of his fingers. This rage are all caused by people around him doing simple things, everything felt like it offended the blond, the way people speak, the way they smile, the way they cry, the way they walk, just thinking about everyone in general made his eyes hold heavy tears that are begged to fall as he reached the stairs, he felt like throwing objects into the walls and push items off of tables with a loud cry._

_"I fucking hate the two you! Why can't you be the one that disappeared instead?!" Tommy cried out, his sigh has gone blurry due to the droplets he's holding at the edge if his eyes, but he could still barely able to see the wounded expressions on his brothers, their eyebrows raised with small gaping lips as their posture straighten once those words flew out of the teen's mouth, what's worse is he doesn't feel a slight bit of guilt seeing as though he hurt the feelings of his family._

_"Tommy what the hell is your problem?! If you could just listen to us—" Wilbur took a few steps closer to the stairs, but his sentence was then cut off by another loud yell from the blond which startled him._

_"You're not Philza!" Was all that Tommy said to his curly headed boy and ran up the stairs before any of the two men could say anything else to him, Tommy headed to his bedroom where he could finally be by himself and with his own thoughts, and away from anyone who knows him. He opens his bedroom door and slammed it closed, making a loud sound that could be heard from the outside of the cottage._


End file.
